


Breakfast Invitations (AKA Flapjacks)

by Jeneva



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Female Characters, Friendship/Love, Lemon, Organized Crime, Romance, Sex, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 09:12:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9879188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeneva/pseuds/Jeneva
Summary: Years on the road have led Sasuke to a city that never sleeps and a woman who never backs down. What was supposed to be a quick burn becomes more with an invitation to return again. And return he does.Contains: sex, violence, discussion of suicide, crime.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains: sex scenes, strong language, discussion of suicide, depictions of violence. There is no rape but the topic may be brought up. Take care of yourself and feel free to leave comments/critiques. Some chapters may have companion art but no nudity.

It started in a bar. Bars were often where these types of things would start. A few drinks and flirtatious winks passed between strangers often ended in a small, creaky bed in a shamble of a room. The next morning would be a valiant attempt to escape unnoticed from whatever face laid in that soiled bed and move on.

         In the end, all it came down to was sex and that was why he was here.

         Sasuke shifted slightly on the rickety bar stool. It was uncomfortable, but there was nowhere else to sit in the crowded bar. Men's laughter rode through the air as friends drank and talked under the dim glow of the lights. It was stuffy and crowded— the atmosphere almost resembled a fire-lit cave.

         The young man scoffed when he saw a man trip over his own chair and break out into a guffaw of drunken laughter. The other patrons joined in and Sasuke turned and attempted to drown out their loud voices with his drink. The sake burned.

         "Another bottle?" The bartender asked as he took away the empty one. Sasuke gave him a curt nod and immediately poured himself another cup of the hot drink. The bartender eyed him closely, particularly his lame shoulder, and turned away.

         Again, his eyes began to sidle across the dark tavern. His expression was entirely passive if not a little dangerous. Most who unwittingly met his gaze looked into their drinks or away, their mood ruined. He ignored them; he was hunting for something.

         A woman with dark hair caught his eye for a moment but she was soon escorted out by another man and paid him no mind. He let it go.

         A red head briefly drew his attention but the smirk on her painted lips reminded him of Karin. That was too close for comfort.

         The man continued to survey the room's occupants, occasionally sipping his drink as he appraised them like items on a shelf. Too loud, too shy, too… he grimaced as a grandma winked at him and curled her fingers in his direction.

A man came in and sat down a seat away from Sasuke. He was the only one brave enough to sit so close.

         "Hey, is this seat taken?" The young man asked. His tone gave Sasuke the impression that the man didn't really care if it was or not. Sasuke didn't grace him with an answer and turned his gaze to the various bottles ahead of him. The other man mumbled something and spun in his chair to lean back against the bar. Sasuke observed him as the man looked around the room. His eyes always went back to the door.

         The sake burned his throat like an alluring fire. He did not wish to have so many people around him, especially if they were loud and brash like the man sitting a seat away. He wanted to find a partner and get out. After an hour of waiting and judging the options, he decided it was time to leave and look elsewhere. Perhaps at the questionable tea house down the street if the rest of his night prove unlucky.

         The thought made him cringe.

         Just as he turned to get off the stool, the door to the bar opened and someone enter. A tall woman strode in and made him take notice. Mostly it was the way she carried herself as she wove her way around the crowded tables. She shone a little bit, the lights caught off of her leather jacket. He felt the thud as her heel struck the wooden floor. Sasuke relaxed into his seat.

         The man next to him sat up a little straighter and Sasuke realized this was who he was waiting for. The expectant look told it all even before he could wave the woman over. Her eyes lit up and she grinned before making her way over towards the bar.

         Again, Sasuke wondered if he should just leave. Sitting and drinking alone was getting him no where. He wanted someone who understood his needs and conditions. Unfortunately, for such treatment he would have to swallow his pride and go to the tea house if he wanted an attentive bed mate.

         By then, the woman had reached the bar and the man stood up and embraced her with a terse greeting. She returned it with a smile that made her eyes curve and her cheeks swell. Sasuke looked her over again from the corner of his eye.

         “Nice to see you could make it." The man said as he sat back down. The woman took more care as she lifted herself onto the rickety bar stool next to Sasuke. It wobbled unsteadily and Sasuke watched with amusement as she gripped the counter and adjusted her position.

         "Well of course I'd make it, who do you think I am?"

         "You’re always late."

         "Liar." She grinned and twisted her feet into the bottom of the stool.

         Sasuke listened and decided she had a pleasant voice. It was low but lively. With her back towards him he took a moment to look her over, from the shoulder’s of her jacket to the brown, water-stained shoes she wore. The dip of her lower back caught his attention.

         Calculation filled his eyes as he stared at the back of her head. He supposed he could try; the worst outcome would be her refusal and he had not received a refusal before. Besides, he felt it was below him to pay for sex. It was something desperate men did and while he could not discount his growing urges, he would not take the insult of a paid woman. He would try her.

         The man she was talking to suddenly noticed Sasuke's dark stare. His low brows furrowed and he looked over her shoulder at him.

"Do you need something, buddy?" there was a challenge in his tone. Sasuke closed his eyes and laughed once through his nose.

         How stupid, Sasuke thought. The man had no idea who he was talking to. The woman gave Sasuke a half interested glance before turning around again.

         "Just ignore him." She said offhandedly. Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. Never had someone just ignored him with barely a glance. It was a challenge and he found his resolve solidifying.

         He sat quietly with his bottle and cup as the pair began to talk. He kept his eyes either down or ahead, careful not to draw the brute's attention again as he observed them. Their conversation was entirely boring and he found himself irritated at being made to wait for her to stop talking. His blood was hot and eager to feel bare skin.

         "So are you telling me to just give in?” The man nearly yelled. The woman set down her drink and played with the straw.

         “No I am telling you to talk to him. As if it such a hard concept.” She muttered the last part as her companion turned to glare down his drink.

         “He won’t listen.” The man grumbled. The woman heaved a sigh and rubbed his shoulder in a friendly way. Sasuke watched with some amusement as she grabbed onto the man’s collar.

         “How long have you been together, hm? Two years? If you didn’t want to move in you should have told him so!”

         The man made a face. “But he would have thought I didn’t want to be with him.” Sasuke had to lean back as she suddenly straightened.

         “Is that really why?” She asked. Her back was fully to Sasuke now and he felt she couldn’t lean back anymore so he settled into his seat again. Her companion groaned.

         “I’m just not ready for a commitment like that! I mean we move in and then we have to start… you know…” He trailed off helplessly. The woman huffed.

         “Act like an adult?” Jiro the only problem I’m hearing is that you don’t know what you want. I think you’d do better to sit down with Akihiko and you two talk about what you are looking for in a relationship.” She softened her tone. “You will feel better when you aren’t tip-toeing around and making yourself miserable. He can’t read your mind and I bet he would like a heart-to-heart.”

         The conversation cooled as the man thought. Sasuke finished his bottle but didn’t make for another one. The woman beside him still hadn’t even looked at him again.

         “Okay, okay I’ll go and talk to him.” The man stood up with conviction. She reached out and steadied his elbow.

         “Why don’t you sober up first honey.” The man was already making for the door, waving back and grinning drunkenly. The woman sighed as she watched him leave. By now she had turned all the way around so her back rested against the edge of the bar and her right arm resting close to Sasuke’s, the last of her drink in her left.

         It wasn’t until then that she finally met Sasuke's gaze and he was able to observe her face with clarity. He wouldn't say she was beautiful. Perhaps pretty, but nothing more. Her cheeks were entirely pink and covered in little freckles. She appeared older than him but judging by how smooth her hands were it couldn't be much of a difference. Her fingers were short and inelegant. Her hair was cropped just under her jaw line and a fringe of neatly cut hair dusted her brow bone. Her more pleasing features, he decided, were her full lips and little nose. Her eyes were rounded and muddy like moss.

         She had turned quite suddenly on him, completely confident as she stared him down. The barkeep interrupted to ask if she’d like another drink. The woman canted her head to the side and responded. The only glance the bartender received a flick of her eyes. Soon a tall, wide glass of clear liquid and bright mint leaves was placed in waiting hand, as if she was an empress. She adverted her eyes to delicately place the straw between her lips and took a sip.

         It was quiet between them and she no longer looked at Sasuke. He continued to watch her between sips of his own drink as he tried to decide if she was worth a try. They faced entirely opposite directions. She sat open, exposed and easy, while he hunched and curled in towards his cup.

         "Are you going introduce yourself?" She asked in that commanding, low tone he half-expected from her. Sasuke's face remained composed. She wasn't even looking at him. Her eyes were peacefully closed. She could have been speaking to the air. "You know it’s rude to stare without an introduction." She continued after taking a long sip of her drink. The mint tingled at Sasuke's nostrils.

         "You are very demanding." He observed how her brow arched and her eyes moved to look at him, the straw still between her lips. It was a defiant gesture.

         "Yes," she agreed. "I certainly can be."

         Sasuke nodded and brought his cup up to his lips. He did not remove his gaze so she turned a little more towards him. She crossed her leg over her knee and brushed the edge of his cloak.

         "Would you like to ask me something or is there something on my face?" Her tone wasn't rude but she didn’t seem particularly pleased with him. Despite thinking better of it he answered her.

         "I have yet to decide on the first but yes, you do have something on your face."

         Her lids fell half way and formed an amused expression before she turned back to her drink, plucked out the straw, and downed the remaining liquid. The glass hit the counter with a definite 'thunk' as she simultaneously rose to her feet. At this point Sasuke was only shoulder high with her as he sat. He looked down at her long legs. Her thighs were thick with muscle, her calves shapely to match. He took a longer moment to appreciate the curve and rise of her backside in the fitting pants she wore. The jacket obscured the rest of her body but her posture was pristine. Pleasant. She was pleasant to look at. She wasn't like kunoichi, this woman had the softness of civilian life about her body. Her life allowed her the fat that made for round hips and full breasts. He hadn’t considered sleeping with a civilian in a long while.

         The only problem, he supposed, would be her stamina.

         He stood and tapped her shoulder before she could walk more than two steps away. She turned partway towards him, curious but wary.

         Sasuke kept a respectful distance from her when he reached out, he was not the type to get close to other people except when necessary. He gauged her expression carefully before he made his decision.

         "I am in need of company tonight." It was a stiff but diplomatic way to phrase his needs. He wondered if she would swoon or slap him.        

She did neither. Her eyes seemed to spark and she looked at him as if she saw him for the first time. Her hands found her hips and her gaze traveled down him and back up, around his face and Sasuke suddenly felt like he was now the item and she the hungry buyer.

         Her face remained schooled as she came up to meet his gaze. The pink in her cheeks darkened and spread high across her fair skin. He noticed that she had shock of white hair that peeking out from behind her left ear.

         "Ah," she said while squaring herself with him, her arms crossed over her chest and her hip popped to the side. "Have you considered the tea house down the street?"

         Sasuke held her gaze with firm resolve. He knew she was testing him. She held her own well and he liked that. He turned more towards her and put his hand on his knee.

         "I do not appreciate the crowd at the tea house.”

         She raised an eyebrow and looked down her nose at the shorter man. Standing, his eye level only reached her mouth. It left him unperturbed. "And you don't consider yourself to be a part of ‘that crowd’?" Her tone soured slightly.

         Sasuke leaned his face a little closer and lowered his voice. “No.” The word rumbled off his tongue. “I prefer a willing partner. But,” he lazily looked around the room. “It seems like there aren’t many willing ones here.”

         He watched her eyes flicker over him again with a slight curl to her full lips. He guessed she liked what she saw because she smiled a little more when she looked back into his dark eyes.

         "I see your problem." He waited as she slid by him and sat down again.

         "Its still early" she looked over at him with wide, deep eyes and waved him back. She brazenly took his sake bottle and sniffed it before ordering another round. Sasuke nearly smirked as he sat back down.

* * *

         Sasuke breathed heavily between kisses as he pushed her against the wall just inside her door. Her hands were threaded through his hair, gripping and pulling him closer to her sake flavored mouth. His legs encased one her own, his knee resting between her thick thighs. He had to tilt his head up to reach her mouth and he could tell she wasn't fond of craning her neck to meet him.

         She broke off first, dodging his lips as she lifted a leg and unzipped a shoe. She immediately descended onto her bare feet. He felt one foot hook around his calf. He caged her with his forearm pressed to the wall as she rid herself of the other shoe. He experimentally pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her head up slightly. Even in the dark of her house, he could see her fiery eyes flash up to meet his. If a person had passed them and ignored the rumpled clothes and tangled, hair they would assume that was they were doing was strictly business. In a way, it was.

         Still staring at her eyes, Sasuke leaned in and pressed his entire body against her. She was soft and giving under his firm weight. The woman remained plastered to the wall, hands flat against the paper as he breathed heavily on her neck. He was too close to look at her face and not go cross-eyed so he settled for inhaling her clean, musky scent. It was a pleasant change to sweat and blood. He expertly rolled his hips to hers and her hands flew into his vest where they gripped tightly. Her chest heaved with her open-mouthed breaths, panting from the lack of air. She turned her head against his cheek and he felt her breath whisper across his ear.

         "Upstairs, first door on the left."

         He nearly growled at the order but the look on her face was not commanding. It was urgent.

         They had grown still staring at each other. Sasuke watched as she raised a hand to his good arm, ran her fingers along to his elbow, and pushed down. He let her pull his arm away and continued to meet her gaze as she turned and went for the stairs beside them. He followed her up a few steps to the second level of her home, then up a just few more to the third. The moment she stepped into the room he turned her around and brought a bruising kiss upon her plump lips. She grunted in surprise as his hand made quick work of her leather jacket. She helped him get rid of it, blindly flinging it and startling the cat that was unfortunate enough to be curled up on a chair. Now that the cumbersome jacket was gone, Sasuke was able to feel exactly what had been hiding. His large hand gripped her soft waist as he pulled her hips to crash into his. He knew he was giving her bruises but he couldn't find himself to care.  

         Finally, they reached the well made bed and he unceremoniously dropped her onto to it. She panted for a moment, flat on her back with her knees hanging off the edge as he stood over her. By now her face had become tomato red and her eyes had glazed over in lust. Sasuke liked the way she opened her little mouth when she sucked in a breath.

         He quickly set about removing his clothes. First went his vest and black shirt. He almost smirked at the appraising look she gave him. It boosted his ego to see her breath hitch.

         Next, and more subtly, he removed his weapons and kicked them just under the bed. She was no danger; he could kill her before she knew what was going on. Still, he didn't want to be unprepared. The life of a missing ninja meant one could never be too careful or too paranoid.

         As he undressed the woman toed off her socks and kicked them away before unbuckling her belt. Sasuke let her be as he undid his own belt and let his own trousers drop to the wooden floor.        

         She was taking entirely too long to get out of those tight pants. Sasuke was not kind when he pushed her shoulders and made her fall onto her back again. She let out a breathy yelp as he simultaneously yanked both her pants and underwear off her body. Despite his harsh treatment, she welcomed him as he crawled on top of her, balancing on the edge of the bed with his feet hanging off into the cold air. She still had her shirt and bra on and was in no position to quickly remove them. He helped if only to make their coupling quicker.

         The moment her head was free of her clothes he dropped his face to her mouth and kissed her roughly and deeply. She responded in kind but was unable to reach into his hair with her shirt wrapped around her wrists. Sasuke grunted when her soft, bare thigh brushed his against groin.        

         He wanted to fuck her hard and let go of all of his tension. His anger had been building for months between his incompetent subordinates and ANBU's continued perusals. He had been aching to let go and what a better way than into some nameless woman?

         Said woman had finally freed her hands and was eagerly exploring his body. He had to admit the feel of her un-calloused fingers was thrilling as they brought heat to his groin. She was bold and, he realized, well practiced. She quickly found the right spots to touch and tease.

         The problem was that Sasuke didn't want to be teased.

         He released her abused mouth and licked his lips before grabbing her by the waist and throwing her higher onto the bed. The mattress bounced as she landed and then again as he came down on top of her. He didn't give her any time before he put a hand into her hair and pulled her upright.

         She stopped him there and gave him an unwavering stare.

         "Enough." She said in a husky voice that made him want nothing more than to bring her mouth down in between his legs and punish her. However, Sasuke was, if anything, unwilling to drive away a bed partner. While others had submitted easily to his whims it seemed that she was not one of them. If he tried to force her, she would end it. The Uchiha decided it would be best to allow her to do, as she liked, as long as it served him he did not care.

         Sensing his silent acquiescence she nodded and brought her legs out from under him. She took a moment to look around, briefly acknowledging his hum of impatience before she settled on her choice. Now sitting on her calves and heels she nudged him to do the same before leaning forward. Her hands dipped into the bed on either side of his hips and tilted him towards her.     

         Sasuke did shudder when her hot, sinfully wet tongue trailed the underside of his right pectoral and laved his nipple. Just watching her kneel forward, the supine curve of her back and the round globes of her buttocks was enough to arouse him. Coupled with the hotness of her tongue and breath against the frigidity of the room her actions enough to drive a man to his knees.

         Sasuke mentally grimaced at the fact that she had, indeed, brought him to his knees. When she moved her mouth over to his other nipple, though, he neglected to care one way or the other.

         He found his breath coming in short boughs as her cool hands found purchase on his thighs and her fingers dug in for stability. Her pert nipples brushed his chest as she arched up to suck on his neck and jaw. Never had he had such attention lavished upon him. Many of his partners had turned into useless goo at the very sight of him. Now, here was a woman who could hold her own. He would reward her for it.

         Sasuke brought his hand up to firmly cup a breast. He squeezed once, then dragged his fingers down, around her ribs and waist to her firm buttock. The cold air had caused goose bumps to attack her pale skin and she began to shiver slightly. Her hot mouth trembled against his neck as reached back up to pinch her nipple between his worn fingers. Her hands squeezed his thighs and he watched with heavy eyes as she retracted and bent forward and down. He knew where she was going and it only served to arouse him even more as she held his gaze. Her eyes disappeared when she reached her destination and he practically quivered as her hot breath fanned over his sensitive flesh, base to tip. Her hands slid up his thighs sensuously and her thumbs rubbed circles near his base. It was erotic and it pleased his ego to see her prone pose. He longed for her to put her mouth around him.

         Lightly, her fingers trailed up the underside of his shaft, deftly tracing the veins all the way to his head. Her little ministrations were enough to bring him to a straining erection and he remained tall and straight before her eyes. Her index finger rimmed around the edge of his head before she bent forward, ass in the air, and gave him a long, slow lick.

         It took all of Sasuke control not to grab her by the hair and shove into her mouth. Instead, he fisted the blanket and grit his teeth as she slowly took his tip in and swirled the flat of her tongue around him. It was maddening. Sasuke was suddenly very glad he had stayed at that terrible bar. He might actually go back if this was the result.

         He exhaled harshly through his nose when she slipped her lips over him and went down. He could feel the light brush of her teeth against his sensitive skin and she took him in. It wasn't deep and she looked up with a warning not to push her. He understood and quietly watched and her head began to bob over him.

         It was like she had started a terrible fire and it burned white-hot. However, Sasuke stayed completely silent as he came into her mouth. The only sign of his orgasm was the messy substance in her mouth and the quivering and flexing of his finely toned muscles. Her thumbs traced the line were his stomach met his hips.

         She broke away and leaned over the bed and Sasuke heard her spit his semen into a trashcan. She had stretched across him, her stomach over his knees as she grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth off. He supposed he could have stopped there and left but Sasuke was never one to do things half way and he felt she deserved a reward for being such an _active_ participant. When she finished spitting out his semen, he made room for her and had her lie on her back, her head pillowed by her discarded shirt. He was about to kiss her when she waved something in front of his face. A condom.

         "This first." She said simply, as if she was offering him something much less significant. Sasuke took it and held it as she peeled the wrapper off and threw away, before placing on his half erect penis. She looked satisfied then so Sasuke leaned forward and took a nipple in his mouth as his other hand ran down her soft stomach and to her crotch. She eagerly spread her legs for him and he was mildly pleased to find her already slick. He dipped his forefinger down and wet it thoroughly before bringing it up to the sensitive bundle. He pressed and gently rubbed circles around her until she was arching and groaning in that low tone of hers. Meanwhile, his mouth moved to her other breast where he placed a toothy bite before drawing her nipple into the hot suction that his mouth provided. His cool gaze remained fixed on her face as her eyes slid shut and her mouth opened with her throaty moans. Sasuke began to slide a long index finger into her as her back started to lift off the bed. It thrilled him to feel every bump and curve to her with just one finger inside. Just then she opened her eyes and he felt her walls shudder and tighten around him before relaxing.

         He made quick work of her with his fingers, expertly inserting a second and finally a third. It was almost painful to feel how tight she was but he knew he'd find out for himself soon enough. In the meantime, he just watched and listened as she moaned into the darkness and shook so hard the bed rocked.

         Her orgasm hit her hard and fast and his quick fingers rolled her straight into a second one, during which she screamed. It was a heady sound of lust and satisfaction, yet it was so close to the sound of pain that his eyes shifted red for a moment. He had heard both often enough but it never ceased to set him on edge.

         Finally, she grew still and quiet. Well, still enough. Her body shivered and she rubbed her thighs together restlessly even though her relaxed face told him she was close to sleep. Sasuke watched her twitch as he licked her plentiful essence from his hand and wrist. He liked how she tasted. Nevertheless, he wasn't done- not by a long shot.

         His large hand was quick to position her legs how he wanted and he found it to his liking when they simply fell against the bed in a splayed butterfly position. It meant he could go deeper and harder.

         Her sleepy eyes opened when his single hand dipped into the mattress by her head. He met her gaze with seriousness as he aligned himself with her hot, wet core. Her expression brokered no rejection and with a clean, precise thrust of his hips, he entered her. She was just as incredible as his fingers promised and he began thrusting into her at a quick, hard pace.

         Her heady moans filled the room as her lower body began to burn with stimulation and heat. Her hands wandered and eventually found themselves wrapped around his broad shoulders and into his hair, which was fine; his hand was knotted in hers too.

         He pumped into her steadily for several long minutes before she started to squirm and writhe. Her knees dug into his hips as she pushed her hips up to meet his thrust. She never managed to maintain his maddening rhythm but she tried nonetheless.

         Finally, he felt her tight walls clench around him so hard that Sasuke saw stars. He barely registered her screams as he broke rhythm to pound widely into her until his own shuddering release found him. His muscles relaxed and a for a blissful time all thought left him as he sunk down against her sweaty, soft skin completely spent. He briefly noted that his fingers had gone numb from her grip.

  



	2. Chapter 2

He awoke when she did. It was early in the morning, the sun had yet to break across the horizon. Their bodies were tangled and clammy with sweat. The sheets were haphazardly strewn over their nakedness. He was lying on her arm, her legs had caught one of his, and her wild hair was tickling his face.

         It surprised him that he had even fallen asleep for so long. Perhaps living on the run had made him forget the comforts of a soft bed and vigorous sex. Just the feel of his head resting on a soft pillow was enough to make him sigh and shut his eyes.

         His peace, however, was not made to last. Uncomfortable with the weight numbing her arm the woman groaned and promptly wrenched her appendage from under his side. The quick move brought Sasuke’s mind and senses into action and all vestiges of sleep were thrust away.

         She groaned and sat up, shivering as the air assaulted the skin of her shoulders and back. Alert but still reclined, Sasuke looked her over as she attempted to run a hand through her messy hair and use the blankets to stave off the cold. She spent a full minute rubbing her face and eyes before she turned and looked lazily behind her. She had drawn away the blanket when she had sat up and had left Sasuke bare to his upper thighs. Her eyes traveled around him for a while before she groaned and wriggled her legs under the covers.

         Sasuke had never had a morning like this before although that could be attributed to the fact that he was usually gone by the time his partner woke. In fact, he was still mildly concerned that he hadn’t woken until she unceremoniously jerked her arm out from underneath him.

         He watched her get up, naked and embracing herself as she shuffled to the corner of the room and retrieved a thick robe from its spot on the chair. She donned it quickly and buried her hands under her arms as she made for the door.

         “The bathroom is across here if you want to clean up.” She said with a big yawn before disappearing out of the room. When she was gone, Sasuke sat up and ran a hand through his inky locks. He felt refreshed and relaxed. She had been an excellent choice.

         As he dressed, Sasuke took care to check the bed and retrieved the used condom. He burnt it in his hands after checking for any damage to it. He doubted either of them fancied a break in the material.

         She had not bothered to turn on any lights so Sasuke made his way to the bathroom in the dark. Once inside he shut the door and turned on a light, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust to the glare. He turned on the faucet and let warm water pool in his hand before rubbing his face and warming himself. He would not take a shower here; he’d clean up properly at the bathhouse a few miles away.

         He finished getting dressed in her long, narrow bathroom before stepping back into the hall. He looked down the stairs when he noticed a light and the sounds that accompanied breakfast. He followed the sounds into the kitchen.

         She stood at the counter, hair in furious disarray, and only in her long pale pink robe. She was mixing something and had an egg in hand, ready to crack.

         “Are you staying for breakfast?” She asked in a casual voice. “I’m making flapjacks.”

         Sasuke watched her from the doorway to the kitchen for a moment before speaking.

         “I must leave.”

         She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. The dusty lights of the bar had made her seem older and tanned but now, under her kitchen’s warm glow he saw her fair complexion and rosy cheeks. She couldn’t be more than thirty.

         “Okay, well, I think we left the shoes by the door. Give it a good push on your way out or it will stick.”

         He nodded, not even bothering to thank her before descending the second set of stairs and donning his shoes. He didn’t spare a single word as he slipped out into the early morning.

         It took Sasuke an hour to reach the small bathhouse. The attendant was half asleep and barely noticed the money Sasuke left at the counter. The baths were just as sleepy, with only a few men in the main tub.

         Sasuke joined them after furiously scrubbing his skin at the washing station. His muscles revealed in being well used and clean. The near scalding water did wonders for his tension. He sighed and leaned his head back against the rim.

         “Out early or late today?” Sasuke cracked an eye and found a big bearded man smiling at him. He gave a very noncommittal sound and shut his eyes again. The men scattered through the water laughed and began to talk again. He ignored the looks at his arm.

         “I remember when I was young enough to handle busy nights and early mornings. Nowadays I’m lucky to make it down the stairs in time. The wife and kids keep me from sleeping in too much.”

         “Yeah, things certainly change with a family. They make you proud to see those little tykes grow. Still, I wish for my younger days.” Sasuke sighed a little more forcibly. He had wanted to relax in peace.

         “Hey, Daisuke, how has your young life been treating you?”

         A young man further in the corner of the bath looked up and slicked his fingers through his wet hair. “Pretty sweet.” He boasted with a wolfish grin.

         Another man chuckled. “Ah yes, you had quite a fun time last week, didn’t you? Hair raising fights and lovely nights between someone else’s sheets?” The men began to laugh again and Sasuke’s brow furrowed.

         “So tell us a bit about her, Daisuke. Let some tied down men relive the old days of singlehood.”

         “It was the pancake girl wasn’t it?” Another piped up.

         Sasuke cracked an eye and tuned in his ears. The other young man smirked at the expectant gazes directed at him.

         “You bet and man, was she _something_. She isn’t the hottest girl I’ve ever seen but she knows exactly what she is doing. Best fuck, ever.”

         “And did she make you her famous flapjacks?”

         The young man lifted his chin and nodded. His companions hooted and clapped him on the shoulder.

         Sasuke ignored them and attempted to enjoy the hot bath. He lifted a cloth and set it over his eyes. Weeks in the forest at a less than suitable base had taken their toll on his ivory flesh. A few scars tingled from when he had scoured himself clean.

         “Hey, boy,” the bearded man turned towards Sasuke. “Have you heard about this girl?

         Sasuke made no answer and the man seemed content to continue without it.

         “This girl takes home guys once in a while. She doesn’t have a regular hangout like most girls do, she just flits around. From what I’ve heard she’s a master in the bedroom.” The men crowed and laughed, adding their two cents as well.

         “Anyways, she has this interesting quirk. If the guy she takes home isn’t up to her standards, she’ll let him leave nice and early. No breakfast and no seconds.” The man looked to Daisuke. “But, if she likes what the guy gives she’ll treat him to her flapjacks. The best in the city.”

         “And if a guy gets her flapjacks in the morning he is welcome to come a second time.” The last man chimed in with a hum.

* * *

 

         Sasuke exhaled as he glided through the hand seals to reveal the hidden base. He did not get more than three steps in the door before he heard Karin and Suigetsu bickering.

         _Like a married couple_ , he thought as he descending the stairs and into the main level of the renovated mine. Suigetsu was dancing clever circles around the red head.

         “‘Oh, Sasuke-kun!’” the man mimicked in a high voice. Karin flushed and chucked a kunai at her teammate. Sasuke passed them by and gave Juugo a solemn nod. He was so close to making it to his room before he was caught.

“Sasuke-kun!” He grunted as Karin latched onto his good arm and pulled. “I was so worried. I told Juugo and Suigetsu-baka that we should go out and search just in case you ran into an Anbu squad!” He wonder how she kept up the act all the time.

         Suigetsu shorted and laced his fingers behind his head. “Tch, he wasn’t out to get into trouble. He was getting laid.” Suigetsu’s eyes grew in anticipation. “So, did you do the dirty?”

         Sasuke cast his subordinate a dark look before firmly pulling his arm out of Karin’s grasp.

         “What I do is none of your business.” He spoke in a cool monotone before vanishing down a dark hall.

         His room was merely a hollowed map room from the days the mine was in operation. It was floored with rotten wood and stunk of damp earth. Old beams held the rock ceiling up but Sasuke was not concerned with it collapsing. The mine had existed sixty years and it could stand sixty more.

         Although, mines weren’t really an expertise of his.

         As long as his team didn’t do something reckless to damage the structure. He could still hear Karin’s grating voice through the earthen walls.

         The dark haired man walked over to his table and began to flip through various papers. His eyes roved the sheets with disinterest, looking for a promising bounty. A few caught his eye but they would present no challenge. He wanted a challenge.

         Sasuke selected some papers and sat down on his cot. The thin material sunk and made the metal bars creak and groan. He shifted and was reminded of how comfortable a real bed was.

         He paused in his reading and placed his hand at his side. He found nothing so he tried another pocket. Again, there was nothing.

         Sasuke set the papers down and methodically went through his pockets and pouches. He stripped to his waist and set his shirt and weapons out with meticulous precision. It was not there.

         Then he remembered seeing it drop between the footboard and the mattress and that he was supposed to remember to fish it out when he was leaving. However, he had fallen asleep and forgotten.

         He’d have to go back and get it. He remembered where her home was and he doubted she’d find it. He’d go in the morning. Tonight, he had to make his living.

* * *

 

         It wasn’t late in the morning, but it wasn’t early either. He had first thought to sneak in and out but he could see her walking around in that pink robe and he decided just to knock. He had not expected a shirtless man to answer the door.

The two males stared at each other. Then stared some more. The shirtless man looked Sasuke up and down and then sneered. Sasuke decide that this man looked very stupid.

“Whaddya want?”

         Very stupid, he concluded.

         “I want to speak with the woman who lives here.” Sasuke replied with a strange kind of grace. The fool was about to retort when a voice stopped him.     

         “Oh, hello there,” The voice’s owner dipped her head over the rail as she peered at Sasuke. “Did you forget something?”

         Apparently, this happened more often than Sasuke thought.

         The woman came down the stairs and the shirtless man reluctantly stepped aside to allow her to see her new guest. She was wrapped in her robe; the only skin that showed was her face, hands, and bare little feet. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a mess. She smelt of sex and had green toenails.

         “Yes”, Sasuke answered. She looked him over briefly, face unreadable, before she sharply turned and bound up the stairs and into her kitchen.

         “Come on in, I think I found it, a necklace right? It’s on the bedside table in the bedroom.” Sasuke nodded, even though she could not see, and stepped past the glowering male. The trip up the stairs was spent with a pair of angry eyes drilling into the back of his head.     

         How irritating.

         Sasuke reached the room soon enough and sneered when he stepped inside. Clothes were still strewn around the floor and the thick chair in the corner had been toppled over. The bed was a knot of sheets and there were no pillows. It smelled like sweat.

         Sasuke’s steps carried him to the table where his necklace had been carefully placed, safely out of reach of flailing limbs and tossed pillows. He picked it up and checked it before slipping it into a pocket. On his way out, he righted the toppled chair and placed the blue dress over the back so it didn’t wrinkle. He eyed a bright teal thong with mild curiosity before returning to the hall. When he came to the middle level, he saw the woman still in the kitchen, pouring batter into a skillet. Concentration furrowed her brow. The shirtless man was lounging on a stool behind her.

         “Was that it?” She asked without taking her eyes off the skillet. He nodded and she started flipping. The man behind her grinned widely and linked his hands behind his head.

         “Don’t forget to give the door a push or it’ll stick.” She called. The delicious smell of hot flapjacks wafted around him before he shut the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

He decided to seek her out two weeks later. After a string of successful bounties, he was tired and his patience was stretched thin. Years spent with his rag-tag team were beginning to wear on him and he desired a break. Perhaps he was getting to old.

         So he changed his clothes and set out for town. He did not tell his team where he was going and he disappeared before Karin or Suigetsu could ask.

         He browsed the main street for nearly an hour, looking into windows and pausing at bars. She wasn't anywhere on the main street so he tried an older part of town. It was beautiful and classic with arching bridges over river sloughs and old minka houses. Paper lanterns hung over the street from between the buildings casting a warm light upon the ground.

         Despite the long week and little sleep, Sasuke was in no hurry. The peaceful noise in the town was soothing. He walked at a measured pace, hands at his sides, as he swiveled his head to look into the teahouses and restaurants. He didn't know why he bothered looking but he found the walk calming.

         Then he saw her sitting at dinner with a group of her girlfriends. Sasuke stopped at the door to the traditional building and watched her for a moment. He had never imagined her in a kimono.

         She was laughing, face bright and pink, her hand covered her mouth and she nearly dropped her hashi. Sasuke titled his head slightly at the scene before he was approached by the hostess and offered a seat. He declined and turned down the road to wait.

         She emerged nearly an hour later, graceful but flushed from laughter. Her friends made a warm little crowd as they bid each other good night.

         She started home alone, smile on her lips and her head held high. Her eyes drifted over the various buildings as she walked. Her gait was purposeful and strong, too strong for a kimono. Flashes of her leg peeked through from her too-long strides.

         Sasuke placed a few coins on the counter to pay for his light meal before stepping into the street to meet her. She didn't notice him at first but when he came into her peripheral, she turned and gave him a surprised arch of her brow.

         "Hello."

         He paused before inclining his head. They stood silent in the middle of the cobbled street, staring. Then she titled her head and gave him a gentle quirk of her mouth. She started walking, much more slowly and with more grace than before. Sasuke hummed and stepped in beside her. Her sandals clapped warmly against the stone paved road and he could nearly taste the rustle of her cotton sleeve.

         "You've been gone a while." She commented. She did not look at him, her eyes watching her step. Still, she held her head high and shoulders back as a woman of status would. He made no response and they continued down the road. It sloped and opened up upon the busy river.

         The woman stopped and looked around with interest before walking over to the rail of a set of stairs leading to the water. Sasuke waited for her a few paces back. She had curled her short hair.

         She turned back to him and slipped her hands into her sleeves. Her eyes alighted on him with the same look as back in the bar and she smiled slyly.

         "You can guess at my return." He said cryptically. She arched a brow and placed the back of her hand on her obi. She looked him up and down critically before her smile widened.

         "I think I have an idea," she replied while spinning and walking up the arching bridge. Sasuke followed at a respectful distance as she began to lead him to her home.

         He was careful in removing her kimono. She had told him he'd replace it if he snagged it but he didn't mind when little hands nestled under his shirt to tickle at his skin. He was clumsy, however, in undoing the simple obi. It had been years since he had dressed in traditional clothes and he had never untied one with one hand.

         He frowned when the lips at his jaw curled in a smile. He did not wish to be bested by simple cloth and he considered just cutting her out of it. But then again, he might ruin her mood and he did not put it past her to boot him out unsatisfied. So, he settled back against the wall where she had pinned him, determinedly fingering at the folds and knots at her back as she sucked along his neck and shoulder. Her fingers pressed odd places against his stomach and chest, occasionally flicking his nipples as she pushed his dark shirt high on his chest. He would not relinquish his quest to remove that damnable obi and she growled in displeasure as he tugged her back into place. He was very close.

         A satisfied gleam burned in his eyes when the troublesome fabric came loose in his hands. He moved his arm and let the obi sag between their bodies and the woman moved back from him. The room was too dark to see in when she took the obi from his hands and placed it to the side. Now that she was no longer wrapped so tightly he set about freeing her from the rest of her clothes. His hand slid under the koman and to her waist, spreading the fabric as he trailed up to her shoulder. She bent her arms back and her chest out to let the koman fall from her and pool at her feet.

         Her hadajuban fell apart with little encouragement, or it would have if she had not grasped the edges and pulled it back into place. Sasuke attempted to make out her expression before he was pressed against the wall by her body.

         "Last time you stripped me first. It's your turn." Her words were low and hot against his ear. She giggled and nipped his lobe. Goose bumps crawled up Sasuke's skin as her hands began to spider-crawl their way up his chest, pushing up his shirt until he consented to its removal. He tossed to the side and shook his head to settle the hair out of his face. He could feel the soft flesh of her breasts as they pressed against his chest through her thin hadajuban. He settled his hand on her pert flank and brought her hips tight against his. The little sounds that escaped her were heady and made his skin burn. He bent his head and caught the curl of her ear between his teeth and gently moved his teeth side to side against her flesh. He was rewarded with a shudder and her tickling hands slipped down to grasp at his belt.

         She used her grip to tug him forward and over her abandoned koman. He followed her to the bed where she stopped and began to unbuckle his pants. With a swift yank, his belt vanished into the room. Her fingers were quicker than his and soon he was bare to cool air.

         She did not leave him to the cold darkness. The soft feel of her hadajuban tickled Sasuke when she embraced him and began to lazily kiss him. He grabbed at her soft curves, pulling her close and tight until she was nearly on her toes. Her lips were soft except where she had chewed them. He licked his to soften his own chapped skin. His hand traveled up her spine and into her hair. He pulled and directed her head where he liked, holding her back as he licked up her neck and to the start of her ear. She pressed harder against him but let him crane her neck back. Her hands stilled against his chest but her pointer finger continued to trace circles on his flesh.

         Her hair was slightly stiff from whatever she had put in it but it smelled like violets. Her bangs were silky against his cheek and forehead as he kissed her. The line between their bodies began to dissolve as he tasted her soft flesh and bit down on her abused lip. Her throat vibrated with a moan and he held her up as she sagged. He was quick to push her back on the bed.

         She giggled and rolled away from him. He landed on his knees as she knelt at the head of the bed. He could see the coy smile on her face as she waited for him. She still wore her undergarments and it covered her well enough, although, he could see the shadows of her nipples as they strained against the thin fabric. Autumn's chill had settled and made itself known by gooseflesh.

         His eyes fell on the column of her throat. She still held her chin high and her tendons bounced as she swallowed. In the pale light creeping through her window she appeared paper white and soft. He knew she smelled of jasmine and violets.

         But he would not crawl to her like a dog. Perhaps other men did but they were weak to their desires. He was not. She would crawl to him. So he rose from the foot of the bed and stood at its end, unashamed and naked with arm crossed over his chest, his fingers resting on the stump of his left arm. Her plump lips parted.

         "Come here." He commanded, low and soft. Her eyes sparked and he watched her mull. She was still wary of him but he was not sure of her either.

         He watched as she bent forward on her hands and knees. Her back dipped and her breasts moved and wobbled enticingly. She crawled forward like a cat and with all of the self-importance on a feline. Sasuke was slightly disappointed that even on her knees she was still a queen.

         "Here I am." She whispered low when she reached the end of the bed. She sat back on her feet, poised and waiting like a well-behaved oiran. He found himself drawn to the dip in her clothes. He wanted to see her breasts harden in the cold air.

         "Take that off." Her chest swelled with a deep breath and he saw her thighs move closer together. She held his gaze as she pulled away her sash and tugged at the little strings holding her robe closed. It fell open and revealed her smooth sternum and stomach but she made no effort to free her breasts or sloping round shoulders. Sasuke found his patience strained. She was teasing him with that little smirk.

         "Take it off." He repeated more lowly. He watched with keen eyes as she rolled her shoulders back and let the robe pool at her hips. Almost immediately, the cold air pebbled her nipples and firmed her soft globes on her chest. She shivered but he was content to let her suffer.

         Sasuke was surprised by what else she wore under the hadajuban. That teal lace thong hugged her generous hips like a lover, gently hinting and hiding. He found his gaze drawn to the apex of her thighs, her hot sex, rather than her naked flesh. She was hiding something from him and he desired more than anything to see.

         He hated how obediently she sat when her eyes and mouth taunted him. She was teasing, always teasing. He would punish her.

         He crouched at the end of the bed, head level with her pink tipped breasts as he watched her. She'd cry first, he decided.

         "Turn around." She did so too slowly and he yanked her back by her ankle until only her stomach and chest rested on the bed. Her backside was presented to him with only that slip of lace between her firm cheeks. Sasuke's hand was unyielding as he held her down by her back and spread her legs with his knee. He preferred her like this. Now he couldn't see that clever smile.

         She was trembling as she arched and thrust her hips back for him, asking him to do as he liked. The sheer lace could barely obscure her from him. He took his time, slowly pressing his palm into a round cheek and squeezing. He loved how soft and yielding her body was to him and he ran his hand around her hip to splay over the curve of her thighs. They were strong but weak as water as he touched her.

         She moaned into the bed, hands fisted into the sheets as he slowly explored her legs, hips, and butt. He'd press and prod, trace and caress with the care of a man examining an prized animal. He tested her skin and flesh with squeezes and slaps, fascinated by how her body recoiled. He never hit hard enough to cause pain, just a small sting before soothing it with his calloused palm. She groaned into the mattress as the desire built at her sex and in her belly.

         Sasuke almost smiled as she squirmed. His hand pressed more insistently at her back and he leaned forward, careful not to touch her, and whispered in her ear.

         "Say what you want. Do not hold back."      

         Again, she groaned in that heady voice of hers. Her hair tumbled around her head, pushed up from her neck. Sasuke dipped down and bit her at the base of her hairline. Her taunt backside brushed against his groin and the lace teased at his skin.

         "Say it." He hissed while clamping a hand on her hip. She arched even further but he dodged her skin with ease and instead pushed her hips forward and into the edge of the bed. She cried out in need.

         "I want you to touch me." Her muted voice was nearly swallowed by the sheets. Sasuke leaned back and placed his hand on her ass again.

"Not there—" she started but her voice died in her throat when his fingers brushed against her lace covered sex. He could feel how damp she was as he traced the very edge where the lace met her hot, soft skin.

         "Fuck me." Sasuke flinched at her low voice and sucked in a deep breath. He was hard now and straining to keep from burying himself deep within her tight, slick core. He wanted nothing more than to pound her into the side of her mattress. He wanted to hear her crying out in ecstasy.

         That little piece was lace hugged her skin and hid her from him. Sasuke thought he could wait a little longer.

         "Take that off." He slid his finger under the lace at her hip and caressed her skin in one languid stroke. She obliged with little hesitation, pushing the fabric down as well as she could while staying pressed to the bed. Sasuke didn't let her move it from her knees as he knelt behind her.

         Her skin was flushed and glistening, swollen. He could smell her thick scent and it made his stomach clench. He took his hand off her back and parted her cheeks. His thumbs rubbed the underside of her flesh as he leaned forward blew on her sex.

         Her desires poured from her with abandon. She pleaded yet he still felt like he was under her control. Her voice made him tense and pant and he had to think of anything and everything to keep his cool. He wanted her to come apart at the seams.

         He descended upon her with furious passion. His lips sealed around her clitoris and sucked hard. Her body jerked violently and only his firm grip on her rear kept her still enough to torture. His tongue laved the little bundle with care, tickling with his tip and swirling. He could taste her and it only served to fuel the fire in his loins.

         Her voice dropped and she hit the mattress with a fist as Sasuke pulled her pelvis up and out. Her strained position held her taunt and open to him as he shamelessly licked her from her pearl to her hot slit. He was harsh when he thrust his tongue into her tight passage. He found she did not need the lubrication but he did not stop until all he could taste was her essence as it dripped down his chin and neck.

         He lifted his head and settled his eyes on her quivering shoulders. Then he bit into the smooth flesh of her ass cheek. Her reaction was only partly muffled by the bed and her leg shook. He ran two fingers across her wet entrance until they were coated and then he thrust the long digits deep into her body. He loved how she pressed back against his hand.

         Her words were dirty and concise. She knew what she wanted from him and she knew he would give it. She was in control and he hated it.

         He hated it but he didn’t stop until she was screaming.


	4. Chapter 4

He could smell her cooking when he left the bedroom. It was an hour till sunrise and the world was cold and quiet. The floor creaked under his weight and he made no attempt to silence his movements as he slunk towards the front door. A shadow fell over him.

         “No breakfast?” She asked and he noted the way her hands were folded below her waist, spoon held loosely in her fingers.

         “I must leave early.” He responded while pulling on his sandals. She cocked her hip to the side and hummed.

         “Alright, you’re missing out.” She wagged the wooden utensil at him as she sauntered back into the warm kitchen. “I don’t know about you but my appetite always jumps after a long night.” Sasuke’s mouth watered as he pushed the door open.

         Autumn’s teeth nipped at Sasuke’s nose and cheeks as he stalked through the sleepy hours. A few tired looking people, bundled tight, trudged to work. Here and there in a window a light flicked on or a shadow moved. Man snuck out of a window clutching his shirt.

         Sasuke dug his cold hands into his pockets and watched his breath fog in the air. Every step made him want to turn back and see what else she had to offer him. Warm food, a hot bath, and a soft bed all tickled his senses with their delights. He could imagine her body moving quick and fast against his with unending stamina. It was a struggle to put one foot in front of the other and continue on to the bathhouse where the company was coarse and did not smell like violets and linen.

         It sickened him how greedy he was about things as trivial as a bed and a bath. In all of his years of wandering, he had never desired such ridiculous comforts as much as he did now. He was strong and hardened and needed no pampering. The soft life she lived was something he had never wanted. Her bed was soft because she was too weak to sleep against a tree. Her home was warm because she could not brave the frost. Her food smelled delicious because she could not stomach the grit of rice portage and dried rations.

         She was the weak one, so why were his legs trembling?

         He had slept in again that night. They had drifted between sleep and sex for hours before she no longer stirred and he felt too tired to rise. He made sure not fall asleep on any of her limbs again but she managed to snag her arm under her head. She drooled in her sleep.

         Sasuke flung his clothes into a heap by the basket and angrily stalked over to the washing station. The bath was blissfully empty and hot and he heaved a sigh as the scalding waters kissed his skin and turned it as red as her passionate cheeks and demanding lips.

         He hung his proud head until his chin touched his chest. Steam curled the ends of his midnight hair and fluffed it. Sasuke let his mind wander to warm summers and fresh watermelon. To salty ramen and taunt tomato skins. The feel of well-worn cotton rubbed his cheek and he thought of his beautiful mother and her warm arms. He remembered pillowing his head on the swell of her breast as she sung sweetly with the cicadas. She was warm and soft but had smelled of tree branches.

         Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and he hunched his shoulders and drew his arm to rest on his knees. His chest was hollow. He sat still in the water and listened to its trickling music. He open-eyed-dreamed of koi ponds and the tang of sake slipped when eyes were averted. The feel of hot dirt under his nails and the sting of a scrape. He dreamed with dark eyes until his skin wrinkled like a sponge and the heat ceased to sooth his muscles. He rose and stepped out a broken man.

* * *

 

         It wasn’t until he was darting through the trees that he realized he had forgotten something. He discreetly tugged on the hem of his pants. His kunai were gone.

         His target spun and lunged, sword like liquid steel in the air. Sasuke gave little thought as he parried, so consumed he was with the idea that he had forgotten something so important—again. He remembered dressing carefully and checking his possessions before exiting the room. What would she think if she found it?

         This time the target was quicker and nicked Sasuke’s forearm. Dark eyes narrowed at before melting into crimson. The man fell to the forest floor in a heap. The chase terminated early.

         Sasuke vaguely heard Karin kicking at the unconscious body before Suigetsu intervened. Sasuke turned his eyes to his wound, a small cut, with distain.

         “Sasuke-kun, let me see.” Sasuke turned away from Karin.

         “Collect the bounty and pick up a new one.” He ordered briskly before leaping into the tree limbs above.

* * *

         He sipped the warm sake slowly, letting it slither down his throat and burn in his stomach. She was sitting across from him with her eyes fixed on his face. Her expression was vexed, her brow raised as she looked him over. Sasuke calmly set his shallow cup down and waited for her to speak. Cold fall rain drummed against the window to his left. She blinked at him before flitting her gaze down to her wine glass.

         The silence stretched on for several minutes. The gentle lull of restaurant played with the warm lamplight above her head. Sasuke looked her over as she turned her glass slowly and thought. Her lips were tightly set and although her posture was casual he could feel the tap tap tap of her foot under the table.

         “You forgot something.”

         Sasuke make no comment and she looked up at him. Her gaze was serious and uncaring. It reminded of him of when she first glanced at him. She saw very little in him.

         “It’s not as if I didn’t know. “ she started accusingly. “I suppose it’s a little less frightening when you leave and I don’t have to see. But finding that,” her plump mouth twisted into a sneer. “Was too much.”

         She stopped swirling her glass and set it in the center of the table. Sasuke was fixated by the strength in her gaze as she burned her message into him without words.

         “I don’t want any weapons in my house ever again.”

         She leaned back and crossed her legs and Sasuke quivered at her control. There was no agreement to be had. No excuses could be made. “I am meeting a client in a few minutes. I threw what you left into the river. You may fish it out if you wish.”

         And just like that, she brushed him off, like a leave on her shoulder.

         Sasuke stayed still and clenched his fist into his pants. He wanted to say something to shock her. He wanted her stop looking at him with such callousness. He wanted her recognition.

         As he reached the door, he turned and glanced back. A short man had reached her table and captured her attention and smile. Her words flowed freely as the stranger took her hand and she shook it firmly. Sasuke watched quietly and worried the waiter with his intensity before he opened the way to the fall deluge.

* * *

 

         Her city was colorful at night. And it was _her_ city. Everything about the place reminded him of her. The bright lights, the old buildings, the trickling water beneath bridges. The busy nightlife kept the streets warm and noisy. Sasuke felt his skin turning blue pink and green with the neon lights as he wandered. His clothes had changed into nondescript black that made him stand out like wolf among the sheep. The sheep could sense the dangerous wolf but he had no desire to taste their blood.

         Sasuke stopped by a ramen stand and watched two boys go in together. They punched and bickered but sat eagerly on the stools to order. Again, they teased and boasted until their bowls were put in front of them. Sasuke decided to step in.

         The boys were too busy talking and gesturing wildly to notice him. Sasuke sat a seat away and poked at his spicy broth with disinterest.

         “Tomorrow when Immato-sensei has us do the rope climb I’m going to get to the top before you!”

         “Ha! In your dreams! You’re too skinny to get up that fast. I’ll beat you!”

         Sasuke eyed the boys and snorted quietly. They fell silent as they devoured their piping hot food and Sasuke inhaled the spices to make his nose tingle. He somehow managed to finish before the boys. He laid a large bill on the counter, an amount worth three meals, and nodded his head at the youngsters. The cook smiled warmly as Sasuke turned and walked back into the neon streets.


	5. Chapter 5

The blood didn’t show on his black clothes but it stained his vest. The wood and paper walls were painted with the remains of a life. Sasuke’s bare feet made gentle thumps as he circled his victim and let his blade drag across the man’s throat. His head rolled away with the sickening slap of wet flesh and grating, crunching bone. Suigetsu rubbed some still-warm blood between his thumb and forefinger. Red painted his mouth.

         “This was easy.” He licked his fingers clean. Sasuke circled the body again and titled his head to the side. The tattoo on his neck matched the design in her headboard. He had never noticed it until she had him on his back.

         He felt the ache stir in him. He needed to find her. The Uchiha turned abruptly and swept the head up by its stringy hair. “Let’s go.” Suigetsu groaned and looked about the corpse-ridden room with dissatisfaction before following his leader into the courtyard.

         “Hey, boss, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

         Silence.

         “Well, I was talking with Juugo and we were wondering what we are do’in now.”

         “We are taking bounties.” Calm the bland answer. Suigetsu made a face that he was sure Sasuke could smell.

“What I mean is what is our goal? What are we working for? Bounties are small game.”

Sasuke had no answer for him.

* * *

 

        He found her out to dinner with several men and two women. A few of her group had become rather drunk and were laughing and talking boisterously. One woman was flirting a pretty blonde waitress. A three at the table were slung together, singing. _She_ was sitting in the center of it all, staring intently into the eyes of the young man next to her. Her drink hung from by the rim from her fingertips and she swirled the liquid lazily. She did not flirt but her smile was genuine when she let it brighten her face. She looked so different with that smile.

         He watched her as he carefully kept himself to the corner of the bar. He could read them all. The bald man and the woman were too drunk to remember that he was married as she sang. The other two men were trying to either chase away the waitress or get her to join in. Last man was clearly interested in _her_. Sasuke spun his glass impatiently as the dog reached under the table to pat her knee and rub it. She raised a brow and moved back in her seat, not quite a denial of his advance. Her smile remained but Sasuke could not understand her as she leaned in to whisper words and gesture about with her hands. Her tablemates laughed and her cheek burned red in alcohol-infused delight. He watched her roll with laughter and her clever eyes dart around with interest. Her drink vanished and was adding to her growing pile.

         Sometimes, though, those quick eyes refused to focus. He noticed the moment when her face fell and became dreamy and distant and he wondered what she saw and if it was so different from what he saw. Did she ache too?

         He turned around and stared hard at the wood grain of the counter. His hand squeezed his glass and he jostled his dark hair out of his eyes. He needed a bath.

A woman in a slick red dress sidled up next to him. Her lips were moist and deep. She pressed her back against the bar and set her elbows on it. Her smile was mischievous as she gently laid her fingertips on his hand.

         “Hey there honey, need another drink?”

         Sasuke glanced back to the dinning room. _She_ was smiling and her eyes were bright. Sasuke slid his glass over and the bartender filled it up again. The woman next to him smiled and began to rub his forearm and ask general questions with lovely eyes. Sasuke listened and nodded. He drifted closer to her until he could smell her perfume and see the faded bruise on the point of her elbow. Her curly blonde hair tickled his neck as she leaned in and started to talk in low tones about touches and drinks. She was not too quick, she kept a slow, languid pace. Her voice was low and her words clever. He could feel her warm body radiating heat against his side. Her hands were strong and sly.

         Her eyes were wrong.

         Sasuke rose abruptly. The woman craned her neck after him and leaned back against the bar. Her gaze was sharp.

         “You have someone on your mind honey, I get it.” She reached across the wood, expertly displaying her figure and the long stretch of her arm as she plucked Sasuke’s glass from the counter and threw it back. It hit the wood hard as she looked at him. “Why don’t we talk about it? Women are so hard to understand.” She quirked a brow. “Or men, they are just as tricky and for the same reasons.”

         Sasuke eyed her and her offer, curious to why she would be so forthcoming. The blonde tapped her foot against his leg and motioned her head to the stool beside her. “Come sit.”

         Sasuke did not like the creak of the stool as he lowered himself back into it. His corner of the bar offered him a clear view of her table without revealing himself to her glittering gaze. The blonde followed his eyes too quickly.

         “Which one?” She clasped her hands on the counter and grinned at the game. “The brunette?”

         Sasuke said nothing as the woman blatantly stared and started talking.

         “No, it can’t be her. Not your type. Could be the one with those two. Hmm...” She ventured at look at Sasuke’s face.

         “Or… is it that red head?”

         His glass cracked.

         The woman gave a low, knowing laugh and spun around to face him, her arms crossed over the wood as she looked at him. “Oh my you certainly fell hard, didn’t you?” She smiled knowingly. “How much do you know about her anyways?”

         Sasuke knew an easy feed when he saw one. “Nothing.” He admitted. His voice felt strained as he spoke and he cleared his throat. The blonde chuckled and Sasuke knew he had satisfied her interest.

         “Oh, I see. Well she has quite a reputation.”

         “I’m sure.” He deadpanned. He knew it. He fed it.

         The blonde smirked. “Yea? Well her reputation may not be what you think.” The woman looked back. “That is Kuratashi’s top businesswoman. She runs most of the distribution district and her own consulting firm.”

         Sasuke’s eyes widened and he turned to look at _her_ again as if she had miraculously changed. She still sat with her legs crossed elegantly and her head tilted towards the man next to her. No different and unchanged.

         “Not only is she the one of most successful business owners in the city but she has kept a relatively low profile about. I just learned this recently, but the last company she bought out remained listed under the previous owners name. She is best known in the business circles for her puppetry.” The blonde wiggled her fingers as if they had strings attached. “It’s pure brilliance.”

         Sasuke looked hard at the blonde and she smiled widely. “I’m a secretary honey, I hear everything and know everything. Just how I know that she has a very agreeable opinion on sex.” She smiled and asked for bourbon. “It’s refreshing really. She keeps things lively about town. Oh… but wait, you’re one of her toys aren’t you?”

         Sasuke bristled but the woman didn’t seem to care. She sipped the warm bourbon languidly. “It’s too bad; you’re such a looker. I wouldn’t mind taking you home myself, if you’re interested…” She threw him a glance and sighed when she saw his expression.

         “I’ll admit she has a certain charisma. She has to if she hooked a looker like you pretty deep. And you don’t even know who she is.” The woman threw back her drink and frowned as a drop stained her red dress.

         “What is her name?”

         She eyed him with those pale blue orbs. Her lips dragged across the rim of the empty glass, leaving a smear of red lipstick.

“Kaori Hayashi.”

* * *

         Sasuke watched his breath cloud in the air as he leaned against the restaurant wall. His dark clothes nearly melted into the shadows. The autumn air bit at his cheeks and blotched them pink, stinging the apples most. The door to his right opened and his eyes drifted over as a group walked out. They were smiling and noticeably less drunk. The two women were talking separately but _she_ was engaged with the remaining men dressed in dark suits. She stood out in an elegant arrangement of blue and gold. Her hair was shorter than his but otherwise little had changed since they last met. She smiled as she shook hands with each man and gave the women a fierce hug to accompany their handshake. The youngest man began to offer to take her to his apartment for drinks. Sasuke pressed away from the wall. She didn’t notice him approach but the man she spoke to did.

         The man’s smile fell away as Sasuke loomed behind her with coal eyes. The two men stared at each other as the young woman looked between them. Sasuke broke eye contact to meet her surprised gaze.

         “If you have the time,” The words were a stiff echo of the blonde woman. “I would like discuss some business with you.”

         When had he ever given an offer? Her marbled eyes shifted before she looked down the street past him and then to the other man.

         “Excuse me, Takeshi-san,” she patted his hand. “…but I’m afraid we will have to have drinks another time.”

         The young man smiled and bowed curtly at the waist. “Of course, Hayashi-san. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.” He offered his hand.

         “And you Takeshi-san. I trust I will see you at the opening ceremony next week?” Sasuke tuned out the formalities and began to count the shingles on the roof across the street. One, two, three—that one is broken—four, five.

         Suddenly, but not soon enough, they were alone on the crowded street. He was met with her irritated gaze but the quivering quirk of her mouth gave him hope.

         “I knew it was a bad idea to fall in with a ninja. You always pop up whenever you damn well please.” She said sourly. She crossed her arms and stared hard. “I saw you sitting in the corner of the bar. Aren’t you people supposed to be a little more sneaky than that?” She smirked and leaned in. “Or maybe you’re slacking off, huh?”

         Sasuke watched her carefully. “I wanted to find you.”

         She frowned and turned to walk up the street. “Yes, I surmised as much. Honestly, I’m quite put off by the fact that it is so easy for you. I prefer appointments.” She stopped suddenly and turned on him, nearly bumping chests with him. “What do you want?”

         Sasuke inhaled the chilly air and her scent. The violets had died and been replaced with something warm, like clean leather.

         “To buy you a drink.”

         She leaned back and appraised his face. He had always been so to-the-point with her. He wasn’t a social caller. As she stared him down she made him feel like he was standing before Kakashi after failing a test. He only wanted to do better. “I’ve had enough alcohol tonight.” She said firmly. On her cue, they started walking and she slipped her arm through his as if she loved him. Sasuke let her and kept her path straight as they walked. Her full hip bumped his occasionally.

         “So,” she started and closed her eyes, trusting him to lead her. “Was the sex so good that you can’t get enough?” She laughed deeply and threw her head back. “You know I only make those flapjacks for the boys I like but you never stayed for them.”

         “I don’t like sweets.” He didn’t.

         She hummed and nodded, loose on wine and gin. “You took a bit of my pride that first time when you snuck out in the dark, but I was pleased when you came back around. I’ll find something other than pancakes, I’m sick of them.” She opened her eyes and looked straight through him. “It’s nice to know I can wear out a ninja.” Her tone was mocking but playful. Sasuke didn’t mind and continued to listen to her as she talked and chatted. She asked him a few questions about if he was a townie, how he liked the city, what restaurants he favored. She slipped in some open-ended questions about his work. He caught her prying gaze and stiff arm. Sasuke offered little to the effect of his profession; he had just finished getting the blood out from under his nails. He did tell her about his homeland and she casually asked about the climate.

         “Nn, some warm weather would be nice now.” She murmured offhandedly as she scanned the streets as they walked. “Do you miss home?”

         “I have not thought much about it lately.” He said flatly. She hummed and continued in silence. Sasuke tugged her wavering body back next to him as he eyed the businesses along the street. A glitzy hotel flashed pink and white lights at him.

         Sasuke stopped and looked up at the sign, _Leisure Hotel_. The young woman followed the crane of his neck up to the sign. Sasuke sensed her gaze drift back to his face and he turned to look at her.

         “Is this _your_ business?” She asked in that calm tone that drowned out every other noise. Sasuke inhaled deeply. He looked at her pink cheeks and pouting mouth. They were pretty but minuscule compared to the depth of her eyes. Her eyes made him feel a strange tightness throughout his body.

         As he took her hand and pushed through the rotating door, his thoughts were not occupied with the temptation of her hot body and a soft bed. Sex was a good excuse to keep her with him for a few hours and to hide his desire for her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

Chapter art work here: <http://girlofwhite.deviantart.com/art/Untitled-4-665047572> 

* * *

Strong, bright bars of neon flashed on and off, on and off, across Sasuke’s bare chest and face. He stared dead-eyed at the slits in the shade as the lights flashed again. On and off. The room they had rented was not what Sasuke expected, which hadn’t been much considering he had not come for the room. He had merely shoved money through the slit under the frosted glass and pressed a button. She had been leaning against the lobby wall with lazy, drunken eyes, idly tracing a tile with the toe of her boot. She had smiled knowingly at him as he took her hand yet it was she who led him to the elevator.

         It took twenty-three minutes to get to the room. Her back had hit all of the buttons and she had wiped any thought from his mind with her urging, hot mouth. He had thought she was drunk but he couldn’t even taste the alcohol on her tongue. She was clever and careful with him. Had she expected him?

         The room was a lucky surprise. It could very well have been filled with pinky feathers and stuffed animals. A smooth artificial wooden walkway led to a low bed. The atmosphere was peaceful with a small trickling fountain in the alcove that held a bath. Even though it looked nothing like home, Sasuke could smell the dry tatami and remember pressing his nose against the floor in winter.

         He looked to his right and watched the bars of light go on and off across her smooth back. She had fallen asleep after the third time, her voice hoarse, and her body spent, happy to wriggle away from him and drift off. Sasuke shifted and felt the sheets peel away from his sweaty skin. The bath looked inviting.

         Despite his discomfort, he found himself unwilling to leave her side. He did not touch her; he only sat still and breathed. She tossed and turned frequently and crushed the pillow into the headboard. It wasn’t long before she rolled over beside him and sat up. Her eyes were not open as she reached blindly for the blankets. Sasuke watched her for a minute before he leaned closer to her ear.

         “Cold?” he murmured and a rogue curl brushed his nose.

         “Nnn.” she was still reaching, her lips softly parted over her teeth. He could see the gooseflesh creeping along her naked skin. Her breasts grew round and firm in the cold. She swore irritably as she yanked blindly at the wrong end of a sheet. Sasuke threw his legs over the low bed and got to his knees. She was still sitting up with closed eyes, her hands in her lap after sensing his movement. Sasuke crawled over to the foot of the bed and tapped her ankle.

         “This way.”

         She grumbled again and started to scoot her way to the end of the bed. Her feet were clumsy so Sasuke took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet and led her down the platform to the bath. Their naked bodies stayed close, her hands stiffly holding his arm for support, her fingers clung just above the bend of his elbow. The bathwater ran hot and Sasuke’s skin turned red as he eased himself in. Her eyes had opened halfway and she rubbed at them with her knuckles. Sasuke sat against the back of the circular tub and watched her stand and rub at her eyes. He flicked some water at her feet and she turned and looked at him with sleepy eyes.

         Sasuke tapped the edge of the tub with his finger. “It’s warmer in here.” She ran a hand through her short hair, which was sticking straight up and to the side in places.

         “You just want more sex.” She grumbled as she sat down and slid into the tub. Sasuke watched the skin of her chest and shoulders redden as the heat seeped into her. Her head lolled back and she sighed loudly. Then she held her arms out to him.

Sasuke moved forward and took her in his arm and held her across his lap. He felt her throat vibrate with a hum as she settled against him and closed her eyes.

         “You’re hot.” She murmured. Sasuke’s chest moved with one silent, cold laugh.

         “I am aware of that.”

         The young woman cracked an eye. “You are also egotistic.”

         Sasuke stared down at her but said nothing. Her intensity was something that often left him unsure. He settled for watching her until she yawned and sat up on his thighs.

“So, since we’re both awake what do you want to do?” She asked as she leaned over his shoulder to sift through the bottles on the shelf. Her breasts were slick against his skin.

         Sasuke turned his nose into the dampened curls of her hair and ran his hand up her submerged thigh. Again, he said nothing as she sifted and searched, pulling off caps and sniffing the contents. She sat back and poured a thick liquid into her palm.

         “Well, I’m quite fascinated with your hair. Did I ever mention it reminds me of feathers? Kind of like a chicken butt but droopier.”

         Sasuke stopped moving his hands and gave her a dry look. She smiled brightly, too brightly for someone whom had just woken, and laughed.

         “Oh, I think I hurt your ego! As if it matters. We’ve seen all of each other haven’t we? I can’t imagine the look of my hair now. At least you have that face,” she smeared some of the sweet gel onto his cheek with her finger, tugging on his face as she did. “That makes anything look good.” She chuckled dryly as she straddled him then thrust her slippery hands into his hair. Sasuke winced as she tugged a knot free.

         “Hn.” Was his non-committal response.

         She pouted her lips and squirmed as his fingers ran up her back. Her face was red with the heat of the water. “I like playing with your hair.” She ran her short nails along his scalp from his temples to the base of his head. Sasuke shivered slightly and sighed. She repeated the motion before sinking her hands into the water and cleaning them. Her fingers reemerged on his chest and flicked his nipples. She sat just beyond the apex of his thighs. He watched her breasts bob in the water and noticed a freckle on the top of the left one.

         They were silent for a long time, neither speaking, just sitting. She made circles with her pinkie finger on his rib. He kept his fingers pressed under her folded knee.

         “Rinse off.” She murmured.

         Sasuke stared at the ceiling as she tilted his head under the stream of the fountain. He had expected the cracked drywall so common in hotels. Instead, he found a mosaic of exquisite quality staring back at him. There was a couple standing on a balcony. The man faced the garden with a woman at his side. However, the lover’s head was turned to a man behind the shoji screen, her hand outstretched towards him in secret.

         Sasuke sat up abruptly and stood, knocking the woman to the side as he did. She sputtered for a moment and watched in shock as he stormed onto the platform and went for his clothes. She got out quickly, snatched a towel as she followed him.

         “Hey, what’s wrong?” Her strong, low voice pierced the air of the room like a gong strike. Sasuke was only half dressed with his belt in his hand. She remained a safe distance from him, something that did not slip his notice. He knew that while she put that aside for nights of sex and lust it did not make her any less wary. She was afraid of him.

         “Kaori.”

She stopped mid question and stared. It was quiet as she gathered her thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence.

         “What?” Her tone was tense and betrayed her fear. She had not wanted him to know her name enough it tasted sweet on his tongue. Sasuke locked his belt and turned to her. Even naked with a towel held carelessly in her hands she was a pillar stronger than any stone. He stared hard at her face, her wide eyes, and agitated expression. Kaori. He blinked and picked up his cloak and headed for the door with soap still in his hair and the neon pink stripes striking at his back.

* * *

         It was four months before he returned to Kuratashi. The cold and snow had set in with a vengeance. In the third month of his self-imposed exile the mine collapsed. One month of outdoor living and the complaints of his subordinates had driven him back into the city to escape. Anything to stop their nagging for he suddenly found that he could no longer take it.

         Large port cities like Kuratashi were rich, successful and had no lack of illegal crime and syndicates. Work for four loose ninja was not hard to come by. From spying to assassination and terror, Sasuke’s team was not without a job. Karin grinned when she remarked how she had never seen so much money flow through their fingers. Sasuke just couldn’t believe how quiet the city was.

         Quiet. Even when the streets were bustling with people he was restless, searching them as if they hid something. He often ran across roofs and danced over the neon glows of the city. Sometimes he wasn’t sure if his feet ever landed until he reached his destination.

         Every path he took was different, winding and turning through new streets the buzzed and shimmered and streets that smelt and boiled. Broken glass sparkled as often as the lights in store windows, like stars. It was always too bright to see the stars in Kuratashi.

         There was that little spot, which lay under a tree, connected by two bridges. Often he saw lovers sit there and watch the lights of the boats as they drifted out to sea. Sasuke never ventured onto that floating spot but sat on the edge of a teahouse and stared at the empty branches. It was too cold for most couples to sit there anymore. They favored the warmth of the shops and cafés to the biting wind that stung his cheeks a pretty red. Sasuke didn’t understand why that spot made him think of her. He had been convinced he was done with her; tired of her. Yet, nearly every night he strode out and began to scuttle around the rooftops like a flighty bird to find this spot. And every time he thought of her.

         Tonight his team had followed him. As stealthy as they were they could not hide from him. He didn’t particularly care that they watched; all they would see would be him staring at a naked tree until his nose and fingers were numb and red. Then he’d head home and they’d try to beat him. He would arrive first and watch them squirm to explain their collective absence. It wouldn’t be entertaining.

         Every night was the same. He stared and stared blankly at that imperfect tree. Every night he thought about trees, their roots and branches, how they are slow and strong and fast and bendable. How strange that justsus are not well suited to wood. Why? Because they are alive? Stone, air, water and fire move and change but they are not alive. They are easy: they do not fight back.

         Does a tree fight back?

         Sasuke’s thoughts broke and he looked down. That red hair was not hers and his thoughts were gone. Irritated, he stood and left like a blur and he did not care that he would be home before his team. He would not taunt them.

         They were getting anxious. Team Hawk had served Sasuke for nearly ten years yet this type of apathy was strange even for him. He did everything the same as before but somehow he managed it with less life than ever before. They had seen corpses walk and yet they were not as worrisome as Sasuke’s living yet lifeless walk. It became so uncomfortable that eventually they began to move without him entirely.

         Sasuke didn’t remember what it felt to smile—to actually smile without feeling that sick anger twisting at his insides. Had he ever smiled? Those photo-smiles were always forced. Why did people smile? They had dead loved ones and sadness and anger. Why did they laugh and smile? They laughed at each other and laughed when others were sad. Did they feel the sick twisting too? Sasuke didn’t even know the feeling of his cheeks lifting and his teeth being exposed. He stood in the mirror and tried it but instead looked like a grimacing dog. Disgusting. His insides felt slimy and cold.

         His life was over. There was no goal, nothing to reach for. There was nothing left he wanted to destroy. His time was over.

         So he went to the tree between the two bridges on the night the first snowfall came. He watched his breath puff and swirl for a few minutes as he stood by the tree. He had a single blade on his person, a small, clean knife that had never seen a drop of blood. Tonight, it would see a body’s full.

         Sasuke imagined the celebration when they found his body. ‘The last Uchiha was dead!’ they’d say. Papers across the nations would carry his name labeled DEAD over the top of his photo. Many would sleep easier knowing he was gone from the world.

         Sasuke withdrew the knife and tilted it so his dark eyes stared back at him. Some would be angry that his eyes would be gone, he thought as he raised the blade and turned the tip towards his face. He wondered how Shisui did it. Just thinking of the pain made his hand shake. He just wanted to die; did he really have to save the world from his cursed eyes?

         Yes.

         He steeled himself but his hand still trembled. Would the cold numb the pain? He hoped so. Just thrust, twist, and repeat.

         “Stop!”

         The panicked voice shocked him so violently that he dropped the knife and it clink-clanked into maw of the dark water. Sasuke didn’t even glance at it as he turned to the voice. Those eyes were wide and terrified as they stared at him. She was leaning over the railing, almost far enough to fall into the waters herself. Her cheeks had gone pale but her nose was still red. She was bundled in warm clothes and a hat that tilted over her eye. Her hair had grown longer but curled itself short. Her eyes shone.

         She reached out her hand. “Come here.”

         Sasuke stared at her. His blade was gone but if he dove for it he could pin himself to the bottom and freeze himself to death before he bled out. The water was so dark.

         “Come here.” She made him look back. Her hand was still outstretched and her face was set. He realized something in that moment; if he jumped in, she’d jump after him.

         Sasuke wasn’t sure if it was the lack of the will to fight her or the desperate need to not go to that darkest of places. He was afraid. He took her hand.

* * *

         He sat still in the office chair feeling entirely out of place. She was speaking to a woman behind a door that read CRISIS CENTER. Her warm coat was draped around his shoulders, just broad enough for him to wear. It had been there since she had hauled him onto the bridge. Her scarf was wound around his neck as well. It smelled like her skin. Sasuke decided only to focus on that scent.

         The door creaked open and the two women stepped out. Her green eyes had cooled but were more alive than he had ever seen. The older woman next to her looked more cautious.

         “Sasuke.” When had she learned his name? Sasuke didn’t remember telling her. He couldn’t think straight. His head was spinning wildly at every thought. “Sasuke, this is Doctor Nazami. She is a counselor.”

         I am in an office. Sasuke thought.

         “Yes you are. Will you talk to Doctor Nazami?”

         No.

         “Sasuke, can you tell me what you were trying to do?”

         I don’t know.

         “You had a knife. Do you have anymore?”

         In my shoes and belt.

         He watched as her careful hands slowly, very slowly, searched for, and removed each blade and container. The doctor was looking more and more concerned.

         “Ninja?”

         Not anymore.

         Kaori filled his gaze, hands running down to grasp his icy fingers. “Sasuke, if you will not talk to Doctor Nazami who will you talk to?”

         My brother is dead. I killed him.

         The pair recoiled but Kaori kept at it, inserting herself into his line of sight. “Who can you tell about this?”

         My mother and father are dead and my brother killed them.”

         Doctor Nazami was hurrying into her office. Kaori looked worried.

         “Can you tell me?”

         No.


	7. Chapter 7

Winter had swept over the land with a vengeance. Snow weighed down roofs and ice made the road slick and dangerous for feet. Home and business owners warred with each other over where the excess snow would go. It was not uncommon to see Juugo outside on a snowy roof, sitting with the winter birds.

         Winter never slowed the work of the underworld. Jobs poured in with fervor and the group of four accepted every job posted. Their contact suggested they set up a shop and buy and ad for the paper. Suigetsu ended up getting a better place, part of an old warehouse to have some indoor training space. Sasuke moved with them but only seemed to haunt the upper edges of the building. His team had begun to move independently of him since he had returned. Whatever he had done over his three-day absence, they could not deny the change to his character. Ghosts were not welcome company.

         Sasuke sat on the sill of an empty window, watching the world grow white. A new job had come up, the order flapped in the wind. The pads of his fingers scraped across the material as he inhaled.

         He didn't remember much from that night she pulled him from the promise of a cold death. He could still smell the sting of medical alcohol and it made the place where his left arm should have been tingle. He only knew he hadn't stayed and she couldn't keep him there. He did the only thing he ever did when those feelings surfaced: he ran.

         For days he had run. The faster the better as the whirling thoughts seemed to get lost behind him. Eventually he stopped his run at the edge of a frozen lake. There he had remained for another day before a hawk had swooped down to perch on his shoulder. His team wondered where he was. There was a job that needed to be done. And with so little incentive Sasuke returned.

         He stuffed the paper into his shirt and slid out of the window. His sandals slid on the icy tiles until all that was left was air and then the hard cobblestones. The slimy contact was skulking by the gate of another warehouse.

         “Yo, good to see ya buddy.” The man fell into step next to Sasuke, surprisingly at ease with the ninja. “I’ve got a great job for you, big pay check. Boss would take it well if you did this one.” Sasuke held out his hand for the manila folder. He let it fall open and skimmed the pages.

         “This isn’t the usual job.” He commented. The contact sneered.

         “Yeah well we dip our fingers into more than Ice and alcohol. We run respectable businesses too!” He stuck his thumb at himself. “And when the competition gets tough we only handle it with the finest finesse.” He pronounced the last word wrong. Sasuke sighed and closed the folder.

         “I will not waste my time intimidating some competitors.” He spoke softly as they turned a corner. The contact frowned.

         “We ain’t asking you to intimidate. They’ve ignored every threat we’ve made. We want an example made of them.” He stopped and pushed the file open to stick his finger into a picture.”

         “This one holds all the cards. Take her out, string her up, make it gory. Once she is out of the way we can handle the rest.” Sasuke kept his eyes on the contact.

         “What are you too scared to fight her yourself?” The contact recoiled with a sneer and shoved his hands into his pockets.

         “She has a lot of friends in this town. Better to have a stranger take her out.” He turned to go. “Get it done in the next few days or we send in our own and keep the paycheck.”

         Sasuke scoffed before looking down at the folder. Immediately his throat constricted. The picture was too familiar, even with the greasy fingerprint smudging the photo. Hayashi, Kaori was written neatly under it.

* * *

         Her building was new but it was built onto an old warehouse complex that looked liked it was ready to collapse in some places. Sasuke crouched in the shadow a curved eave as he staked out any security that could get in the way. Two guards stood at the entrance but they were too casual to be serious.

         The device in his ear crackled and he fidgeted with the tuner until muffled voices could be heard. The night before he had taken the opportunity to slip a device into one of her associate’s briefcases. It had made it through without notice and heading up to the meeting room. He adjusted the tuner and settled in next to an old bird’s nest.

         The greetings were formal enough and it was rather boring to listen to someone rattle of a summary of profits, expenses, and business contracts. He strained to hear from her as the table debated different methods and ideas. He imagined her sitting at the head of the table, crisp and focused.

         “Our study does confirm your plan, Ishihara-san. The vendors in Iron aren’t as interested in tin as they were three years ago. Importing anymore without a solid demand would be risky.” There she was. Sasuke hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath.

         “If we don’t bring in enough we will lose their patronage. Monogu has ordered four tons expecting a fresh demand.”

         And so it continued for another hour before the various associates and partners began to trickle out. When his device was finally out of range Sasuke slipped out from under the eave and dropped down a few floors. The meeting room had the largest windows in the building. He pressed himself against a wall as he peered in.

         She was slumped over the table, almost as if she had just collapsed. Sasuke’s teeth groaned as he ground them and his hand slipped onto his sword.

         Her head rose as someone opened the door to the room. He sunk back against the wall and released his grip on his sword. He watched her as she gathered her papers and stood. Her face never turned towards the window.

         It would be better to just walk in, he thought as he jumped down to the street. People milling about paid little attention to him. A simple change in clothing and a hat was enough to keep eyes moving past him as he trailed by the door. He had missed the extra security inside. Apparently, the company took the yakuza’s threats more seriously.

         The contract seemed to burn in his breast pocket and he scratched at it unconsciously. He continued past the entrance to the building and was about to turn a corner when he saw them.

         Ninja had a particular way of carrying themselves. Even civilians could pick it out. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at the group of three that lounged across the street. They were rough and lively and they were staking out the same building as him. One of the men eyed him and grinned toothily. Sasuke stayed perfectly still as the man reached into his belt and unfurled the same piece of paper Sasuke had. He shook it out but Sasuke didn’t need to look closely to see the face that was circled in red.

         Competition.

* * *

 

         Sasuke didn’t like the yakuza’s hangout. It wasn’t dirty, not on the upper level, but it gave off the aura of too much money and blood. It was ironic considering his profession but Sasuke had always thought himself to be better than the crime bosses he served.

         The contact was there, choking on his drink when he saw Sasuke. Sasuke ignored him and searched out the boss. He sat far away from the main entrance, having a quiet lunch with a few men in suits. Sasuke wasted no time in approaching the table.

         A few men stood as he drew near but the boss made a point of ignoring him until there was a tattooed hand on each of his shoulders. It was only then that he looked up at Sasuke from over his fat cigar.

         “Ah, gentlemen, may I present one of my associates, Mr. Fan.” Sasuke’s nose crinkled at the name. The men at the table turned and appraised him carefully as the boss linked his fingers together and resting his chin on them. “Such an unexpected surprise, what can I do for you?”

         Sasuke held out the order. “There is another team staking out the building. Do you expect me to split the reward?” His tone was low and gravelly. He realized he hadn’t spoken in two days. The boss idly looked at the order and chewed on his cigar. “Well, you see we are in a bit of a rush here. My good friends have been having a hard time getting by and with the next market season opening up we thought swift action was better.” He grinned, nearly biting off the foul tube. “But you have been my most successful associate so far. That other team won’t see a penny if they do your job before the end of the week. After that, however,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m just afraid my friends can’t wait that long to see results. You understand.”

         Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and he let his arm fall. The boss held his gaze resolutely.

         “Why her?” he asked. One of the men at the table leaned over and whispered to another. It seemed as though the boss had been waiting for that particular question. He took a long drag and let the smoke trickle out between his teeth.

         “It’s a shame really, I do like the girl myself. She has a… certain something about her that is just so entertaining.” He waved his hand nonchalantly. “But the fact of the matter is that this is a man’s game and she has overstepped for too long. She wouldn’t take a hint and it is a dog-eat-dog world out here.”

         The men at the table chuckled. Sasuke waited as the boss put out his cigar. “You can take her out nice and clean. That’s what I like about you; always quick and clean. Those three vultures like to a make scene about it and I don’t really mind. It gets the message across loud and clear.” His thumb crushed the cigar butt in the ashtray like a bug. “Either way I get what I need. What will you get out of it?”

* * *

         She stood alone in the crowded market. Sasuke could see her red hair. She had lost her hat on her walk and he had picked it up. It hung from his belt but now that he was so close he suddenly didn’t want to make himself known to her.

         It had been years since he considered killing someone so carefully. He had never thought about what would happen to the untied portions of her life; who would claim her belongings, who would care for her cat, who would attend her funeral, who would visit her grave.

         He would have made it quick. She wouldn’t feel a single thing. He could snap her neck before she even noticed his elbow cradling her chin and his hand cupping the back of her head. He suddenly felt nauseated and leaned his shoulder against a nearby post. She slipped out of his view.

         His legs were moving swiftly, almost running as he wove through the crowd. The snow had started to fall in fat, fluffy flakes. They clung to his hair and sizzled on his skin. He slid a little when he stopped outside of the store she had gone into. Puffs of hot breath floated before his face. His chest heaved slightly.

         She noticed him immediately as she stood at the register. Her eyes were wide and she had stilled. The woman behind the counter looked between them carefully before placing the last bag on the counter.

         “300 ro.” She said. The cashier repeated it before the woman noticed and handed her a bill. Sasuke kept still as she gathered her change and her grocery bags in hand. She paused at the steps of the store for a long moment before walking down.

         He half expected her to walk away from him, or even run, but she was suddenly toe-to-toe with him and held his gaze with those fierce jeweled eyes. His fingers twitched.

         She blinked when he held out her hat. It was the last thing she expected from him and it took her a minute before she shuffled forward and caught it on the top of her grocery bag.

         “Thank you.”

         Sasuke nodded but didn’t move. She eyed him and looked around, searching for something to say or somewhere to go.

         “Do you want to walk with me?” He never remembered her being so soft when she spoke, as if she feared a loud noise would break him. She nodded her end towards the end of the snowy street in an invitation. Sasuke inhaled deeply and dipped his head once. They set off together at a slow, measured pace, neither one wanted to outstep the other.

         Her grocery bag was slipping for the fourth time when Sasuke reached over to catch the paper bag. She struggled for a moment to move her arm out from under his and let him take it without so much as a remark. He refused to look at her as they continued down the stone street.

         “I didn’t think you’d come back.” She admitted as they turned up a winding and narrow side street. She walked a little ahead of him now and had put her hat in her coat pocket, the same one it had fallen out of earlier. He merely watched the road ahead. Her breath rushed out and fogged the air and her glasses. He hadn’t noticed those before.

         “I don’t know if you remember it.” He did, he did and he didn’t want to think about it. She kept going but spared him any looks. “You were saying so much I wasn’t really sure what to do to help.”

         “It is not your place to help me.” He said quietly. She almost turned.

         “No? I’m just supposed to fuck you, right?” her tone became biting like the cold wind. He licked his dry lips and curled his fingers around the bag. She was storming ahead of him but not fast enough that he thought she wanted to get away from him. He still had her bag.

         She stopped some ways up at a stone and wood building, pressed in closely by others like it. She was digging through her pockets for her keys. He stood behind her and waited. She cursed and jammed them into the door.

         She held it open with her body and toed off her boots. He followed her and let the door fall shut as she stepped onto the wooden floor and bumped the light switch. The slap of her bare feet on the wood followed her into the next room. He was much more careful walking in her home.

         “I moved.” She explained as if he had asked. The dark of the evening was banished as she stood in the bright kitchen. Her back was to him as she pulled out item after item. He lingered by the edge of the light until she finished.

         “You can bring that here.” She patted the counter and started putting things away. Sasuke slid the bag down and handed her a carton of eggs. He pretended not to notice her glances. They worked in silence until the bags were empty and her cat had stuffed herself into them. The kitchen was suddenly quiet and heavy. They kept their backs to each other.

         “Would you kill me?” He flinched at the sudden question and looked over at her. Her shoulders were hunched and her hands griped the counter as if she would fall. Her back heaved with each shuddering breath.

         Sasuke took a long moment to respond. The crackling sound of the cat tearing into the paper bag pierced the air. The feline popped out, brushed his leg with her tail before standing on her back legs to beg from her owner. The woman turned and knelt to furiously pet her cat.

         “Are you worried that I will?” Sasuke asked. Her hair kept her eyes hidden from him but she heard. Her hands paused.

         “Yes.” She admitted. Sasuke sucked in a long breath and crouched down to her level even though he was clear across the kitchen. He held out his hand and the cat trotted over to sniff his fingers.

         “When I enter this house… your home… I do not bring my work with me.” It was as close to a promise as he could get. She had sunk to sit with her legs folded on either side of her. Her face looked weary.

         “I wish I never met you.”

            At that, Sasuke could agree.


	8. Chapter 8

They made dinner together. He left the chopping of vegetables to her for more than obvious reasons and worked over the stove, keeping the noodles from over-cooking and the shrimp from burning. She had given him an apron and had rolled up his sleeve for him. He was quick to catch a rollaway tomato.

         Dinner was quiet. They sat elbow to elbow. He served the noodles and she poured plum sake. The broth was clear and lightly seasoned as he ladled it into their bowls. Never had he thought he would sit at a kitchen table serving a homemade meal again. They ate in silence. The cat made herself content walking between his legs, ensuring he would not leave without her fur coating his pants. The woman tried to shoo her pet away and got sassed in return. She gave up and took a drink.

         She did the dishes alone. Sasuke watched her carefully handle the knives, dump the still-hot water down the drain, wipe the condensation from her brow. As she finished, he rose and stood next to her as she dried the sake cups. She wasn’t relaxed. She didn’t feel easy with him. He leaned in and asked her what she wanted. She set the cups down and sighed. His hand hovered near hers, waiting to hear her answer.

        

* * *

       

        He grunted as she pressed him into the couch. His left shoulder was part-way out of his shirt but the rest was awkwardly twisted around his neck and other shoulder. He had her held too close to work the rest of the garment off. Her hand was spread across his stomach. Her fingers glided along the curve of his chest, up along the muscle to his amputated arm. Her other hand pillowed the back of his head. Her nails scratched his scalp.

         A line of saliva connected them as she pulled back to breathe. Sasuke's lips tingled for the hard kisses and bites she had given him. As she adjusted her position over his lap she looked him over. He waited patiently as she traced a scar along his shoulder, up to his chin and under his eye. She looked sad. He didn’t want to be pitied.

         Using his good arm, he supported her back and dipped her backward onto the coffee table. Her legs closed around his back and he crawled over her, mouthing her throat until it was reddened. Short nails clawed his back and her hands sought purchase on his shoulders as the world turned upside down. He pushed his hand under her shirt and ran his fingers over the points of her ribcage. His tongue soothed her neck.

         He missed the smirk on her lips before her strong legs grasped him and tossed him over her to land back first on the floor. He blinked dumbly as she smiled above him. She slid forward until she hung over his face.

         “Tell me how good I am.” She urged and just barely brushed her lips against his. His hand shot up and into her hair but he did not pull her down.

         “Tell me why you keep coming back.” Her fingers slid down the neck of his shirt, over the necklace, to feel his heartbeat. He fixed her with his steady gaze.

         “Tell me that I have something you need.” She fisted into the underside of his shirt and pulled his lips up to her. He almost shuddered when she nipped his lower lip.

         “You have something I need.” He replied huskily. She smiled and bit his jaw gently. All he could see was the column of her throat. The hand in her hair moved to mimic the hand she hand down his shirt. Cradled between her breasts, his fingers could feel the pounding of her heart.

         He pulled her down until the hand on his chest had to give up its search support herself. He twisted and sat, pulling her off the low table and over his legs as he did. She scrambled at the sudden change in position, but found herself comfortable enough not to separate from their kiss. His fingers curled on her shoulder.

         It took nearly half an hour for them to remove their clothes. The bedroom was long forgotten, and Sasuke didn’t feel the need to hunt it down. He had settled her nicely over his lap. Her couch provided enough support that they didn’t sink. She knelt over him, her legs on either side of his hips as she greedily plundered his mouth. She took and gave as she pleased and the lack of oxygen made his head swim pleasantly.

         Something pricked his senses. He sat up slightly as she worked at his belt, grumbling about how he even got it on. Sasuke didn’t listen as he focused out her window and into the late night snow.

         The ninja was there, watching. Sasuke nearly leapt to his feet but the man made an easing sign with his hands. Dark eyes narrowed as the man continued to sign.

         E N J O Y  I T  W H I L E  I T  L A S T S.

         Sasuke frowned as the man slipped away into the dark. He had lost his chance. Now it wasn't only her head on the block, but his too.

         “Hey,” He looked over as her face came back into his line of sight. She smiled gently and settled down on his lap, her arms wrapped around his chest. He wiped his thumb along her lip.

         He took her hard against the coffee table, the couch and even the floor. She rode him with powerful stroke of her hips and made sounds that would plague him for days. He drew each coupling out as long as he could until they were barely able to roll off each other. He felt sweaty and sticky in that pleasant way only sex or a hard workout could give him. The cold floor bit into his back and he groaned at the thought of sleeping there. She laid half on top of him, face buried in his hair, enjoying the break.

         “I’m going to be so sore.” She grumbled without any real dissatisfaction. Sasuke hummed in agreement and looked at the couch above them. He had a goal.

         She gasped as he sat up, much too quickly, and their skin peeled apart. She watched him stand. His legs shook slightly and he was stiff. As he searched for a blanket she reclined on the floor, content with the view he gave her. He raised an eyebrow at her when he returned and saw her self-satisfied smirk.

         “I had gotten a new bed,” she said into the cool air. He stepped around her and sat on the end of the couch. She rolled onto her stomach. “I guess we can break it in another time.”

         Sasuke nodded, feeling relaxed and tired. Peaceful. He stretched out on the couch and heaved a sigh when his head hit the soft arm of the chair. She got up next to him and took a moment to put the table back before she walked by and bent over him.

         “You’ll get cold here.” She warned into his ear. Without opening his eyes, he snapped his hand out and grasped her wrist. With a swift yank she came tumbling down next to him, pinning him against the back of the couch while she barely missed falling over the edge. His arm was caught under her soft wait but with some jostling he had enough room to let it cross over to her hip and hold her there. His remaining left arm hooked the blanket and pulled it over them.

         “I don’t think I’ll be that cold.” He murmured into her ear, sleep already overtaking him. She hadn’t been expecting him to cuddle afterwards and it took a long moment for her to settle in. Her feet were cold as she deviously pressed them against his shins.

         “We’ll see.”

* * *

          He kept a close eye on her building. A seal protected her house but he doubted the hired nin would strike there. They wanted to make a scene nothing would be better than to do it in front of her associates and partners. He pulled his cloak tighter as he waited on a roof. Nothing for three days. He hadn’t told her about the hit. It clawed to get out of his mouth but he couldn’t. Instead, he resolved himself to trail her, visibly enough that the team wouldn’t just swoop in and slit her throat. He had left early that last morning and had not returned.

         He adjusted his position and leaned against the wall. She had another busy day today. Three meetings in a row and this one involved her investors. She didn’t look as tired as when he had first staked out her building but she wasn’t smiling until her audience entered and sat. She began as usual. Outlines, argument. Sasuke didn't really care to read the words that were spoken. Even so, his eyes kept coming back to her mouth, watching the words get caressed each time she spoke. She asked for a file.

         Then he saw it and cursed himself. Immediately, he was on his feet, his eyes trained on the man that brought the folder around the table. His shoes shattered clay tile as he raced to get there in time.

         Ultimately, the action was swift. The folder fell and a long, gnarled blade came flashing into view. Sasuke tasted blood as he bit his thumb. The people at the table hadn’t even had the chance to get up from their seats as she was pulled out her chair with a knife parallel to her sternum. Four more titles shattered.

         They were shouting. All present in the room were sent into a confused panic. The minute he flickered onto the table the room erupted. Bodies flailed, trying to escape, trying to help, trying to hide. Sasuke ignored them all. His dark face turned towards the nin and the woman he used as a shield. The man’s face was contorted in an expression of triumph and fear. His blade pushed up until it hit the underside of her chin. Sasuke barely noticed how wide her eyes had become.

         “Too late.” The nin hissed as he backed himself into the wall. Sasuke gracefully dropped from the table and followed, his sword shrieking as it carved into the stone floor. The nin pushed the tip of the knife harder into her skin. She made a pained sort of sound from between her closed teeth as blood painted her throat.

         “Was she really that good of a lay?” The nin sneered, twisting her arm until she fought to find a place where it neither broke nor got her impaled. Sasuke did not care to answer as he closed the distance. His sword vibrated.

         “You threw away the money. You got your few fucks. What do you think this is, some heroic change of heart?” The man yanked her towards the large window. He peered behind him and grinned at the growing crowd below. “You see I have a code; once I take a job I do it. And I do it so _well_.” The nin smirked and kicked the glass, shattering it and causing the crowd below to scream and run for cover. Cold air rushed in and pricked Sasuke’s skin.

         The blood stain on her shirt was growing. Her hands were stiff and shaped like claws. Her eyes had shut. Sasuke stilled. The nin had planned a dramatic death and it would not be a quick one for her.

         “You call yourself a ninja?” The man laughed. “You are weak! You are—“ His rant was cut short as Sasuke rushed forward and pierced him through the neck, spine and out the top of his head. The nin’s eyes lolled and crossed before the body went slack and fell. It crunched against the shattered glass before slipping out the broken window and onto the cobblestones far below. The meeting room grew quiet again. Those who had stayed hidden behind chairs or desks peeked out. No one spoke.

         Her chest was heaving. Sasuke watched carefully. Her eyes stayed screwed shut. Her fingers curled and uncurled. A tear raced down her cheek.

         “Hayashi-san!” A dark-haired woman raced forward and caught her as she fell back. Sasuke remained still and turned his attention to the body below him. It had changed. No longer did it look like the nin. He frowned and flicked the blood from his blade. It was all a test.

         “Somebody get a medical kit!” The woman was yelling as he turned. She watched him with a mixture of fear and confusion as he surveyed the room. Another woman raced over and pressed a wad of gauze to the wounded neck of her employer.

         “You!” Sasuke turned to a portly man of 60. His eyes crossed slightly as he focused on the finger pointing at him. “You, do you work for the yakuza?” Those in the room waited with baited breath. Sasuke closed his eyes and sheathed his sword.

         “Obviously not.” He kicked a large fragment of glass out of the window and headed for the door. The board members watched him go with awe on their face.

         “Wait a minute.” An older woman rose. She had been the only one to stay seated at the table. Strong hands splayed out on the table. “I would like to speak with you. The... entire company owes you thanks.” Her eyes narrowed. “And recompense for your brave actions.”

         Sasuke could smell the hidden message. Already, the injured were being evacuated. He did not glance at _her_ as she was carried past him. Those with the stomach to stayed behind and the woman who addressed him gestured to a seat.

* * *

         “You what?!” Kaori roared. She winced as the outburst stung her jaw. The medic who arrived was still trying to decide whether or not she needed stitches. Masomori clasped her hand in front of her, stern as ever.

         “We hired him.” She repeated. Kaori’s wild eyes shot between the board members gathered around her.

         “You are all insane. What makes you think we can just hire some rogue ninja?” Her yell made the medic recoil. Masomori huffed.

         “I had hoped this would have enough of a wake-up call for you Hayashi-san but the Yakuza are not to be trifled with. If it wasn’t for that man you would be dead, the company would be dissolved, right back under Kumomoto’s thumb.” She gestured for effect. “If he feels you are such a threat that he hired ninja I don’t see why we should be any different.”

         Kaori shuddered as she sucked in air. “And the rest of you agreed?" The less brave members nodded. Mr. Bon stepped forward.

         “It is in our best interest, as a company.” He offered lamely. Kaori's cheeks puffed with anger

         “You didn’t even consult me.” She accused lowly. The medic finished taping her bandage in place.

         Masomori nodded. “It was a unanimous decision. Your vote wasn't needed.”

         “You mean it didn’t matter.” The air chilled as the two women stared each other down. It was Masomori who spoke first. 

         “If you protest this course by the board our investors will pull their support. This company will fall within three months. You may resign, but the contract we drew is designed to protect active members of the company. It… it would likely be in your interest to stay.”

         Kaori ripped off the blanket she had been wrapped in and stood. Covered in her own blood and wild eyed, she struck a strange sort of awe and terror in her partners. Her fierce eyes flicked to Masomori. “Sell your soul while you are at it then.” She then turned, stormed down the hall, and out the door.

* * *

          Kumomoto publicly denied and condemned the attack on Kaori Hayashi in the usual slimy fashion of a guilty man. He even had the nerve to have his new ‘associates’ flank him as he expressed his desire to reconcile the rift between their companies. The tv in the corner played the scene over again and again, the bloody pavement, Kumomoto's smug, swollen face, the shattered window she had nearly been thrown out of. Kaori cursed and downed the last of her sixth drink. The bartender was quick to put another before her. It was late and she sent the two corporate guards home. She didn’t like being trailed. Her gaze narrowed on the counter and she sucked down her drink without even tasting it. Fuck them all. She slammed the glass down and motioned for another.

* * *

         Sasuke hadn’t been searching for her but he found her nonetheless. It seemed to be a talent of his. She was being ushered out of bar, far too drunk to even open her eyes. She waved the bartender off and dragged her hand along the wall. Her legs carried her, but just barely and occasionally she would topple forward. Sasuke saw two of the security guards who had been assigned to her get up from their spot across the street but he was quicker. They shrunk away from him as he crossed the street.

         “Fuck off!” she slurred and slapped at him when he neared. The motion carried her a little too far and she fell into him. He grabbed a hold of her belt and hauled her back up. It took her a long moment to open her eyes. Her glasses were missing.

         “Get off-off me.” She hiccupped and shoved at him again. Sasuke kept a hold of her belt as she tried to figure how she wasn’t moving.

         “Help me walk home.” He said. She turned suddenly and frowned.

         “He-lp you? Are you d-runk?” she shook her head and he felt her fingers rake down his arm until they found purchase around his wrist.

         “I don’t think I can make it back by myself.” He said. She thought for a long moment before releasing the hand on his wrist.

         “F-fine. ‘ets go.” She surged forward and yanked him with her. Sasuke followed suit and curled his fingers a little more deeply into her belt.

         She didn’t chatter as they walked and eventually it was just him who was leading them. Her head began to sag and more and more he worked to hold her up. Ultimately he threw her arm over his shoulder and dragged her through the streets.

         She thumped loudly against the door and slid down it to sit. Sasuke huffed, puffing out his cheeks before he knelt and began going through her pockets. She slapped his hand pushed him away.

         “D-don’t touch me.” Sasuke stopped and looked at her hung head.

         “You have the keys.”

         “Noooooo I don’t.” She patted her pocket and frowned. “Oh… yes I do.” She dropped them into his waiting hand and he start to work on the door open. Once able, she crawled in on her hands and knees and promptly rolled onto her side in the foyer.

         Sasuke took his time removing his cloak and shoes. He shook the snow from his hair and hung her keys on the little hook by the door. She was sound asleep on the raised wooden floor, her feet dangling off the edge. He untied her shoes and pulled them off, then her socks. He had to roll her on her back to pull her arms out of her jacket. She shivered and curled in on herself.

         “Do you want to sleep?” He leaned over her to whisper in her ear. She nodded, hands curled close to her mouth, but made no move to get up. Sasuke reached under her again and pulled her up by her waist, tickling her as he did.

         “St-stop it tickles.” She groaned as he pulled her towards a room near the back. The kitchen was cold as he pulled her past. She was out before she hit the bed. Sasuke set to work pulling back the covers and rolling her around until she was under them instead of on top. He stopped by the kitchen, flicked on the light and filled a bottle with water before returning to the bedroom again. He set the bottle by the bed and lowered himself to sit on the mattress. Her forehead burned but she slept peacefully enough. Sasuke leaned back and let his hand rest on her the blankets over her hip. He remained like that for a long time before the cat began to pester him for a snack.

* * *

Cans were the devil, he concluded. Eventually, he had just stabbed the catfood can and pried off the lid with a sharp knife. The pudgy feline sang her praises before engulfing her meal wholeheartedly. Sasuke was given the ultimate honor in being allowed to run his hand down her back once before being swiped at. Standing, he turned to the kitchen and sought another job. It was messy, dishes laid unwashed and the pots were stained with old food. A fly buzzed against the light.

         He filled the sink and dumped everything in, much more loudly than he should have. She never stirred in the back room. He set about scrubbing and held his sleeve out of the water with his teeth. The dishes came out clean but soapy to rest on the drying mat. The cat walked loops around his calves.

         He checked on her again and found her upright and moaning. He followed her to the bathroom and sat on the tub as she vomited her insides out. Her nose bled and stained her teeth. It took two more rounds before she was empty enough to stand, spit out the blood, rinse her mouth and collapse back into bed. Sasuke turned to go when her finger snagged his.

         “You’re here.” She mumbled into the pillow. He watched her with stoic eyes but didn’t let her fingers fall from his.

         “I thought… it’d be better if I couldn’t feel it.” She winced and shuddered. “If I blacked out and they came I wouldn’t feel it.” The glitter of a tear caught his eye. She shook with her restrained sobs. He brought their hands back to her face.

         “I know.” He murmured into her hair. She peeled apart then and split open. Her cries and screams saturated the wood of her home. Sasuke stayed bent over her, hand still trapped by hers, and waited. He knew exactly what she felt. He had considered that path for so long. His eyes fell on the bandage under her chin. Her trauma was so fresh she couldn’t breathe without it squirming its way into her thoughts. It was hell. It gnawed and burned away at the insides. It could be ignored for a time until that metallic smell returned and brought the knife back under her chin.

            He understood.


	9. Chapter 9

He left when he heard her get up and returned to the company building. His team was waiting for him just inside the doors. He didn't even stop to acknowledge them.

"Hey, are you sure about this?" Suigetsu fell into step beside Sasuke. People in the lobby stopped what they were doing to watch them. Distrustful. Dangerous. Strange. Sasuke read it in all of their expressions as he continued down the hall to the elevator.

"Very." He answered as the people in the elevator scurried out to make room for them. He pressed the 5th floor button. Once the doors closed Suigetsu turned to him.

"I get working the hits, that's just how it works but bodyguards? And for some suits?" He waved his hands about. "It is insulting!"

Karin frowned and adjusted her glasses. Even she didn't try to defend their leader's choice. Sasuke kept his eyes forward.

"Did you read the contract?" He asked. Karin brought it out of her bag.

"We have two shifts guarding several key members, breaks will be taken in turn. Group A will work the first three days of the week, group B the second three days with the last one alternating." She looked up. "It is a lot of work."

"Do you find the pay to be adequate?" Sasuke asked. Karin flipped the page.

"Pending the success of the guarding team pay will be dispensed in two week intervals up to but not exceeding 30,000 ryo. If any of the specified members are seriously harmed or killed, the pay will be reduced by 10,000 and the contract will be subject to review. Taka members may submit requests for reimbursement for weapons, food, and supplies used while on duty to be paid by the company."

The elevator was silent aside from the whirring of the cables. It slowed and 'dinged' as it reached the 5th floor. The doors opened and Sasuke stepped through. His team silently followed to the end of the hall and to the large meeting room.

"Welcome." The woman who had offered him the contract stood and nodded her head to the team. Sasuke didn't respond and she gestured to the open seats at the end of the table. Karin and Sasuke sat while Suigetsu skulked by the window and Juugo stood behind his leader. _Her_ seat was empty.

"I trust you have considered the contract closely." The woman sat down and opened a folder. The various partners and executives were either watching the team of ninja or trying very hard to seem interested in the contract.

"There are minor adjustments to be made." Sasuke responded. The woman nodded.

"Of course of course, that can be discussed. What the board would like to determine at this point is how you plan to be successful with this contract. We would like to hear your plan of action."

Karin looked up at that moment. "We have done our research into this organization and its leader." She pointedly left out that they once worked for him quite regularly. "Based on our intel, we believe he has three ninja on hire. They are, however, not part of the regular hire and are therefore extremely expensive. We are confident that our team will be highly successful in preventing any further actions against leading members of this company." The board members seemed to like what she said. One man rubbed at his jaw.

"Never before have ninjas been brought into dealings between the enemies of yakuza. It is unprecedented too say the least," he looked up. "It means that we have struck enough damage to Kumomoto's dealings. He is getting desperate using ninja for hit jobs."

Karin nodded. "We have noticed reports about in-fighting between his men that have weakened his usual ranks. We believe this is why he began hiring ninja to fill in the gaps. They are expensive but generally more proficient."

Masomori hummed. "Which is why we have hired your team. Do not be mistaken, we do not order hits or murders and we need to make sure that is perfectly clear to our employees, investors and the public. We have ordered a gag on our employees but you will need to make yourselves look like usual guards. We can't afford to loose business if people find out we have hired killers to protect our assets." Light flashed off of her spectacles. "There will be a uniform to wear while on site but we understand the need to blend into crowds. We ask you keep weapons to a minimum while on the property. A sword…" She eyed Suigetsu. "… of average size is acceptable. Our regular security will deal with the safety of our employees and property but we will require that you maintain an ear to Kumomoto's orders so we may reduce the damage of any future attacks."

And so the meeting went on. Sasuke listened carefully but found his eyes drifting back to the empty chair opposite him. Masomori noticed once or twice and made a point of mentioning _her_ when listing the people they were supposed to watch.

"President Kaori Hayashi has demanded that she be excluded from this list. We will respect her wishes. However, we do expect you to intervene if there is a threat to her on the property as you will be in bounds with the contract stated that you will attempt to prevent violence or assault on the property. We," she gestured to the board. "—will try to convince her to accept the contract in the meantime."

Sasuke nodded and took the brush that was offered him by the assistant. He signed and thumb printed the document. Karin followed, then Juugo and Suigetsu. The tic tock tic tock of the clock was the only noticeable sound in the room. The assistant collected the papers and returned them to Masomori.

"Excellent. We would like for you to start immediately." Sasuke rose from his seat.

"We will start tomorrow." He stated before making his way to the door. Taka followed at a distance behind him.

* * *

The days passed quickly. A break in the cold winter weather had brought out throngs of people to the industrial district. Sasuke patrolled the street in plain clothes while Juugo stood guard inside the building. It wasn't hard to pick out Kumomoto's lackeys; they spent everyday at the bar across from the building, throwing their weight around and harassing the workers. It was all intimidation meant to keep the workers on edge until it was too much and they left. The real threat was more cleverly disguised.

A flash of brilliant red caught Sasuke's eye and he turned to watch _her_ approach. She walked tall and steady, any shred of fear carefully wiped from her face. She flowed through the waves of people, some her people, some strangers. Sasuke counted the steps until she crossed the property line and then until she disappeared into the doorway. He turned and continued down the street and into a back alley.

It had been quiet. Karin was spending the day doing recon on Kumomoto but she had to be careful not to get too close. Kumomoto wasn't a stupid man. Suigetsu was busy finding out more about the rogue nin that had been hired—none of their faces had appeared in the Bingo Books. Sasuke's left arm itched.

"Must be good pay." Sasuke stopped walking as the familiar voice cut the air. The side street was empty aside from a few rats but the noise of the main street could still be heard. Sasuke's opponent grinned from under the shadow of a building, bobbing the toothpick in his mouth. With a huff he spit it out and pushed away from the wall. "I didn't think goody-two-shoes like that would even think about hiring missing nin as guards but I guess I gave them a pretty good scare." He rolled his shoulders as Sasuke turned to face him.

"Wish my boss was that pretty."

"Are you going to talk or pick up your sword?" Sasuke's hoarse voice trickled across the stones and made the other man get goosebumps.

"Talk. No fresh orders yet so it's pretty boring. Kumomoto still wants you back on his side. He thinks you have no honor."

"I don't."

At that, the ninja's eyes lit up. "Oh? So would you stab her? Slit her throat? It'd put me right out of a job, you might even get the boss to give you a bonus."

Sasuke moved quickly, almost removing the nin's head with one sweep of his blade. The man was fast as well and countered before launching into his own attack. The metallic strikes echoed but never made it over the noise of the main road.

"I think we picked the wrong side." The nin spoke between strikes. Sasuke remained silent, looking for an opening. "You –unhn—you should be working for the boss, get yourself a nice cut." Sasuke kicked his knee and the man rolled to the side.

"I should be guarding her. It would be a good fight but I wouldn't mind so much when she died. I mean what's my life to some suit's?" The stone wall cracked where he shoved Sasuke into it. "Kumomoto would pay me to let you kill her, we'd both get what we want."

Sasuke took the moment hook his arm around the nin's shoulder and throw him across the alleyway. The man rolled into his landing and got up in a fluid motion. He sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"You think about it buddy. I'm just playing here but don't think the boss isn't serious about getting results. You won't have a break…" He smirked darkly. "When war comes you and I will be the soldiers."

The kunai sunk into the wall just behind where the nin had been. Sasuke breathed out slowly from his nose and straightened his posture. The warm wind made his cloak uncomfortable after the fight.

Soldiers indeed.

* * *

She was waiting for him when he returned to relieve Juugo. If the terrified look on the giant's face wasn't enough to warn Sasuke the death glare she sent him did. A couple of the employees peered around the corners of walls and desks.

"You may go, Juugo." Sasuke dismissed quietly. The man nodded, got up, almost forgot to bow to his employer, before practically running to the stairs. She remained seated where she was, arms and legs crossed.

Tension nearly made the air ripple as Sasuke met the death glare of the president. She was pristine, rosy cheeked, hair tousled by the wind. She was also dark. He had never seen her wear black before. It clashed with the red hue of her skin.

"My office." She growled as she stood. Sasuke followed a step behind as she flew across the floor. Her door groaned as she threw it open and waited for him to enter. Her eyes never left his until he passed her.

Sasuke stood before her desk and she behind it. Neither one wanted to sit but he could tell she was on the verge of ripping his other arm off.

"What do you think you are doing?" Her voice was low and thick. Sasuke blinked once and maintained the poker face he had spent so long practicing.

"What I was contracted to do."

Her shoulders rose and feel with every breath. He saw her hands trembling as they gripped the back of her leather chair. Her eyes burned.

"Oh are you? How professional of you." She rounded the desk and put her nose in his face. He could smell the bitter tea she drank. "It is quite a lucrative contract too isn't it? Lots of money, benefits. Far better than any usual job _your_ kind take." Every word dripped with a double meaning and Sasuke frowned.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You planned all of this!" She accused. Her finger jabbed him painfully in the chest. "You plotted and planned for this to happen. Meeting me over and over for months, letting this feud Kumomoto started fester, don't think I don't know you worked for him." He took a step back as she pushed forward. "You played me, played Kumomoto and now you play at being a hired sword while you wait for the payout to rise again!" Sasuke's back it the wall of her office and she fisted his vest tightly enough to break one of the buttons. "You are the lowest filth." She ground out but Sasuke could see the rage of tears dancing in her eyes. Her breath still came in ragged gasps, her entire body shook with her anger. Her gaze pierced his brain and made his ears sting.

"That isn't true." He didn't have a better response.

She punched him hard in the gut. Not hard enough to break anything, but Sasuke choked on his breath. She hit him again and went to knee him in the groin. He stopped her there and tripped her, causing her to fall to the floor. He knelt over even as she sent a nasty left hook into his jaw. It took a long moment until his single hand could catch both of her wrists.

"You liar!" The tears fell down her face, dripped off her cheekbones and grazed her ears. Sasuke took a deep breath.

"I am not here to drive up the price." He reiterated. She kept glaring at him, not even bothering to blink the tears away. Sasuke sighed and loosened his grip on her wrists.

"Kumomoto hired me to kill you two weeks ago."

"You fucking piece of shit!" He struggled against her wild kicking and grunted as her teeth sunk into his arm. He released her and back up.

"He gave me the order but already had the rogue team on standby." He continued as she got up and made for the door. She paused with her hand on the knob, her back to him.

"Why didn't you go through with it?" she asked. Sasuke didn't have an exact answer for her. His silence seemed to give her an answer.

"I can't terminate your contract by myself." She sounded defeated and tired. The knob shook under the strength of her grip. "But so help me if you come within thirty feet of me you will have both me _and_ Kumomoto to deal with." She threw open the door.

"Get out."

* * *

"Well that could have gone better." Masomori commented as Sasuke looked out the window. "I don't blame her in the least. You should have been honest about your previous employment with Kumomoto."

"You wouldn't have hired us." Sasuke retorted. The street below was busy, carts and workers milled about like ants. Masomori sighed and joined him in watching her employees below.

"It might have taken more convincing but you'd still be where you are." She eyed him carefully. "I looked into your time with Kumomoto. As ruthless as you and your team are you don't have the MO to pull something so complicated. Besides, you certainly don't need to be sneaky to get close to the President."

Sasuke eyed her sharply and she grinned. "Oh I know. I saw you that one evening after dinner. I thought you were just another John who couldn't resist. I guess it was a good thing she found you before Kumomoto put out the order. It probably saved her life."

"Are you suggesting something?" Sasuke felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave. Masomori had him between a rock and hard place.

"Love, even lust, can make powerful allies and enemies. Even if you were the kind to pull something so slimly as Hayashi believes I doubt you could go through with it at this point." She turned back to the window and put a cigarette between her lips. "This is business darling but never make the mistake of thinking the connections you share with others can leave you without strings."

* * *

There was a pig hanging from the entrance of the building. It trickled blood onto the stone steps and its spilled guts. Flies had started to crawl around its insides and in the slightly warmer air the fetid stench was growing. The employees and works gathered around, staring and whispering. The message was clear. After three weeks of silence Kumomoto had decided the war was on.

Sasuke surveyed the crowd. Several of the partners were there, looking green in the face. Masomori frowned and held a handkerchief to her nose. Karin circled around the outside and made a hand signal. Whoever had done this was long gone.

A rustle in the crowd drew everyone's attention. The president was there. The shock and horror was plain on her face. Her workers began to whisper and turn away. Sasuke heard some talk about quitting.

She stayed still for a long time, eyes darting around the carcass, the hook through its ankle, the hanging intestines, the words _President_ _Hayashi_ carved into its side. A fly buzzed by her without notice.

Suddenly she was in action. The crowd watched as she strode up to the carcass, her shoes smearing the half coagulated blood. She held her arm out to the guard next to her and he struggled for a moment before handing her his sword. She took it, it was heavier than she expected, then swung. The blade got stuck halfway through the leg of the pig and it swung as she pulled it out. The crowd backed up as the blood sprayed in an arc. She did not relent, hacking at the limb with determination before it finally snapped and the body crashed onto the stone with a loud _squelch_. Her shoes were covered in the sticky red substance. Bit of flesh clung to the blade that she held at her side. Her chin was high even as she looked down.

"Woo hoo look at the pig president! Cutthroat as always!" The yell came across the street where Kumomoto's lackey's always parked themselves. There were six of them leaning against and automobile, tattooed and smoking.

"It is always nice to see the boss getting dirty right boys? It really shows you what kind of character they have." The taunts continued to roll across the silent crowd. Not a single worker spoke. _She_ stood still and kept her eyes on the carcass.

"Remember Pig-President!" One of the lackeys cupped his hands over his mouth to make sure he was heard. "Mr. Kumomoto sends his best regards!"

She left the scene without saying a word and disappeared into the building. Masomori was quick to order a crew to clean up and the workers to their stations. She made clear eye contact with Sasuke before following the president into the building.

* * *

He kept to her orders. Never did Sasuke get within thirty feet of her. He kept his watch to the street and alley's surrounding the facility while Juugo or Karin maintained vigilance on the inside. Threats began arriving with more frequency. The lackeys that heckled the workers on their way in only made it worse. Several partners had pulled support after finding dead chickens and rats nailed to their doors. Three refused to even set foot on the premises again.

If it that wasn't enough the workers were leaving as well. The presence of ninja in the picture suddenly made them fee less secure in defending themselves. While no attack ever occurred on the property, the donkeys for the carts had been mutilated in the stables. Now everything had to be hauled by hand. Everyday fewer and fewer showed up for shifts. Production was down.

Sasuke was present at the meeting where the remainder of the board members argued about their next course of action. Some wanted retaliation, to send in his team to destroy the businesses and homes of Kumomoto's allies. Others wanted to move the company focus into a line of work that didn't interfere with Kumomoto. One suggested removing the president from power through a vote and taking Kumomoto's previous offers. Sasuke only half listened as he watched the lackeys heckle the workers from across the street. Out of his contract's designation neither he nor Karin who stayed below made a move. One move on their part would be enough of an excuse to the local arbiter bring up charges against the company for using ninja to intimate.

"We can't keep this up! At this rate we will lose all of our workers!"

"Well we can't just bend over and kiss Kumomoto's ass! He won't stop til this place is ground into dust."

"I still say we retaliate. Our team can make it look like an accident."

"The local law enforcement is under Kumomoto's thumb, they'll plant evidence if they have to."

Sasuke turned from the window and picked up the file Karin had put together. Kumomoto was careful not to leave any direct tracks. The local law had picked up two kids who admitted to stringing up the pig even though they were hardly sturdy enough to lift each other. It was enough to satisfy the arbiter not to press charges against Kumomoto.

"Madame Vice President!" Sasuke looked up as an assistant burst through the door. Masomori growled and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it, Lin? We are extremely busy."

The assistant took a moment to catch her breath. "It's Hayashi-san—" At this the room stilled. Masomori made to rise.

"What about Hayashi?" She pressed. The assistant swallowed hard.

"She is downstairs—gasp—fighting Kumomoto's men from across the street."

Sasuke didn't bother with the stairs and leapt down the middle, catching himself on a rail and vaulting himself over it onto the ground floor. The lobby was empty, but he could see the workers gathered outside. Karin was standing there as well when he tore through the door.

"What happened?" he asked after he pushed through the crowd that had gathered. Karin leaned in to whisper.

"I only saw after she punched him. They were heckling the workers again and she just showed up and punched him square in the face." She turned as the crowd hooted. "It's just the two of them, Hayashi and the goonie leader."

Sasuke cursed under his breath and pushed further through the crowd. He could see her red hair bobbing between the masses. People on both sides were cheering, cursing, punching at the air with each hit. Eventually he made it to the edge of the impromptu ring that had formed.

The fight had already been going for several minutes when he arrived. Her lip was split. Blood smeared across her chin and cheek from where she had wiped it, giving her the look of war paint. Her opponent had a swollen eye and looked to be missing a tooth. He limped on his left foot. She was careful to keep her injured knee out of range. Her opponent was taller than her by a few inches it wasn't enough to spare him from her fists as they shot out and up, clipping his chin. She had stripped to her undershirt and pants. The lackey boss had lost his shirt to her ferocious hands. Sasuke vaguely noticed her personal assistant holding her coat and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"KICK HIS SORRY ASS HAYASHI-SAMA!"

Elegance wasn't her game. She truly _brawled_. A few near misses spared her from a broken nose and she dove in with the ferocity of a boxer. Her strong arms gripped her opponent around the middle; his punches did nothing to make her let go. Sasuke stood by as she hefted her opponent in the air and with a mighty yell threw him over her shoulder and onto his back. The man landed with a gasp and didn't even have a chance to regain his breath as she stuck her knee into his chest and shattered his cheekbone and nose with one punch. He grabbed her by the hair, ripping her off him only to have her thick legs hook under his head and over his throat. She twisted his arm and squeezed him between her legs. His eyes bulged and his lips turned blue and he scratched at her skin to steal a breath.

The moment he went limp she released him and pushed herself to her feet. The man's comrades could only look on at their unresponsive boss in shock before they noticed that _she_ was staring them down. She raised her bloodied hand and made a slow 'come here' motion with her fingers.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he had seen men run away so fast dragging an unconscious body.

Roars of applause erupted from the crowd of workers. Sasuke watched as burly factory men and women came forward to slap their president on the back, commending her and pledging their support. The assistants chanted her name. She had won the match.

Masomori's appearance quieted the crowd but did nothing to stop the proud smiles from those gathered. They parted for her as she approached the president.

"Kaori what—" _She_ held up a hand and accepted her coat from her beaming assistant.

"Don't worry about it Zhang, I'm not on company property." She met her vice president's gaze. "Just settling a personal matter." With that, she started for the building and withstood the hands that pounded against her back and grabbed her bloody hands to shake in thanks.

* * *

He guessed it was a good sign that she didn't immediately through him out when he entered her office. She was at the washbasin in the corner, head titled up as she dabbed at her lip. Her knuckles were scabbed over already and he could see the bruises forming on her cheek, arms, and forehead. Her assistant watched him carefully from the desk were she was typing.

"Taka's team leader is here." She announced sourly. Her employer didn't even give him a glance.

"Hn."

Sasuke stayed where he was, hand on the hilt of his sword as she finished tending to her battle wounds. When she did she turn her shoulders were square and her eyes were just as sharp as the day they met. She joined her assistant and looked over her work.

"Get it printed and posted." She ordered. Once the door to her office closed it was just the two of them.

She practically fell into her chair and immediately regretted it. Sasuke noticed the way she held her left side. After a moment of steadying breaths she turned to him.

"You have been doing recon on Kumomoto." She stated. Sasuke nodded his head. She reached into her desk and pulled out a piece of paper.

"He doesn't like it when people fight back. Worse when they embarrass him." She set the paper on her desk and twirled a pen in her bruised fingers.

"I have had enough of this. While my workers may have gotten their spirits back today it won't last. I'm not going to give him the chance to recover from this. It will be in the papers everywhere." She pushed the paper forward and Sasuke picked it up.

* * *

**LOCAL BUSINESS TYCOON CHALLENGES LONGTIME KINGPIN**

President of Ushimono industries, Kaori Hayashi has sent an impressive message today when she personally dealt with a gang of suspected yakuza mobsters who were harassing her workers.

At 10:38 am today the president took matters into her own hands when she personally pummeled Abe Yoshikoro who has long been suspected of the murders of the Lui brothers. A statement release by vice president Zhang Masomori says that the president responded to a personal threat delivered to her by Yoshikoro. Several witness present at the scene report that Yoshikoro and his crew had been threatening members and employees of the company for weeks.

Reports indicate that Yoshikoro is working for Genji Kumomoto, a long time trade Kingpin who has been connected with yakuza activities in the past but never charged. Kaori Hayashi has made her business in the same fields as Kumomoto and it is believed that the recent threats are retaliation for her refusal to merge companies with Kumomoto.

* * *

Sasuke set the paper down and looked at her. She had her fingers laced over her mouth, her eyes were distant.

"He is coming for blood this time." She regarded him with a calm intensity. "And I'm going to give it until he bleeds out."


End file.
